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Founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski in 2020, Lost Lantern is one of America's earliest proper independent bottlers. As whiskey nerds themselves with a keen eye towards transparency, they're uniquely positioned to resonate with the latest class of whiskey nerds—those of us who have lived and sipped through the latest whiskey boom cycle with intention and purpose. We're a unique bunch that are here to stick around through thick and thin despite shifting tides in global whiskey demand. I obviously count myself amongst the ranks of such nerds. For better or for worse, gone is the era of the big 10 goliath distilleries ruling over the whiskey industry. Whiskey enthusiasts have more options than ever before to explore whiskey that is potentially being produced right in their backyard. An unfortunately commonplace notion in the uneducated masses, those on the fringes of whiskey fandom, is that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. The front label of this bottling from Lost Lantern obviously immediately disproves this misguided conversational platitude. So, what attention or care should we give to a little distillery that you've probably never heard about in Ohio? Are they capable of making better bourbon than the old shelf staple Jim Beam, clogging up shelf space with countless new SKUs containing all the same whiskey? You'll find my definitive answer to that question in the review that follows, but for now, let's let the dynamic duo from Lost Lantern tell their half of the story: Lost Lantern hand-selected this cask from Tom’s Foolery in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The family-owned distillery uses traditional, labor-intensive methods, including wooden fermenters and pot still distillation, to make whiskey the way it used to be made. Their whiskies embody the cold, snowy climate of Ohio’s snowbelt. Aged for 10 years in a 53-gallon barrel, this straight bourbon whiskey was made from 63% corn from their family farm, 10% winter rye, and 27% malted barley. It has notes of maple-drizzled cornbread, French vanilla, and warming oak spice on the nose, with hints of maple candies, chocolate syrup, and fresh-cut hay on the palate. Like a warm autumn day in a glass. Tom’s Foolery is a small distillery, but it’s one of the few that has always planned on aging its whiskey for a longer period of time. They have released several single barrels on their own that are 10+ years old, and every single Tom’s Foolery release Lost Lantern has done has been the oldest single cask of that style of whiskey we’ve ever released (at least up until the launch of this Collection). This cask, our first-ever 10-year-old bourbon, is no exception. What we're seeing in the modern era of whiskey making is an incredible return to regionalization, a move that should be welcomed and celebrated by whiskey enthusiasts everywhere. Before prohibition, this type of thing was commonplace. Find a pre-prohibition distilled bottle of whiskey on auction today and you'll often see distillery labels from the likes of Ohio , Pennsylvania, Maryland, and beyond. Regional styles had unique tastes. We're getting the same celebrated variation in whiskey today, and for that, I am grateful. Brands like Lost Lantern are helping to spread this message. Despite this exciting development, another unfortunate truth is that the modern whiskey industry is now in demand decline. These shifting winds mean that we don't have the luxury of waiting around to find out if the little guys are capable of producing great whiskey. Now is the time to seek out the best distilleries across the United States and vote with your wallet, a mission that I seem to share with Adam and Nora from Lost Lantern. When you find one of these great distilleries, tell your friends. Buy them a bottle too. The likes of Jim Beam will likely always exist given their volume plays toward less-discerning palates. I'm not knocking you, dear Beam-loving reader, if that's a proper description for you —I celebrate anyone who has a go to whiskey that they enjoy that is inexpensive and regularly available. For those of us who are seeking a deeper understanding of the broader whiskey landscape, however, I urge you to resist to go out and buy the goliath distiller's limited time offering, or the shiny new bottle that all the influencers are being sent. Skip that bottle of Booker's and shop local instead. Celebrating this noble mission should be much more commonplace than it is. At the end of the day, quality needs to be paramount, and it seems that Lost Lantern is going about their barrel selection process with this simple shortlisting methodology in mind. Let's taste through the fruits of their labor and learn a little something about a unique Ohio whiskey distillery at the same time. Company on Label:  Distilled by Tom's Foolery, Chagrin Falls, OH (selected and bottled by Lost Lantern Spirits, Vergennes, VT) Whiskey Type:  Ohio straight bourbon whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  63% corn, 10% winter rye, and 27% malted barley Proof:  119.4° Age:  10 years MSRP:  $150 Further identification:  This is 2024 single cask #17 , matured in a 53 gallon ISC cooper's select char 4 barrel which yielded 82 bottles after maturation; bottled at cask strength, with no chill filtration, and no color added, it was first available in late 2024 for select CA and MA retail markets, the latter of which is where I scored my bottle thanks to Burlington Wine & Spirits Nose:  Browned butter and chocolate mousse lead the way on first introductions which immediately capture my attention. A thick, oily feeling in the air is suggestive of a creamy delight ahead; aromas of chocolate layering over rich, buttery toffee are warming, comfortable, and enticing. After a long rest, maple pecan pie and whipped cream notes can be found with relative ease on this powerhouse of whiskey elegance. The age is truly prominent here, reminding me of some of the aromas of 2020 George T. Stagg: funky oak, leather, linen, and dark walnut are complex and thoroughly enjoyable. My goodness, this just gets better with time, a reward for the rare patient observer. Maple sugar and resinous wood aromas are perfectly integrated from fermentation all the way to my glass. After a few sips, the pour remains nearly perfect, with no sharp edges to be found and copious volume remaining readily available behind the maple and cream tones. The empty glass offers black forest cake, pistachio, and a lingering feeling that typically comes along with a warm summer day. Palate:  My first taste is thick, oily, resinous, and silky in the mouth, offering crème fraîche and maple candy. The linger is undulating and long with buttered walnut bread and candied pecan. Another sip spreads funky pot still oils all across the tongue alongside cinnamon streusel coffee cake and Pirouline chocolate wafers. The flavor knob, I discover, is capable of being turned up to 11 by my third sip, as vanilla bean ice cream and churro flavors continue to impress. While the nose does present a bit more complexity than the palate, I can't say I'm disappointed in the least with this pour. The slight grain funk remaining in the flavor profile is evidence of its originality, an ode to the Ohio terroir. My last taste late in the glass is the creamiest of all sips, with an undercurrent of dried boysenberries, before chocolate raspberry cake shows up on the long linger. TL;DR: Oily, rich pot still greatness is exuded from every corner of this glass Rating:  4.5/5 ( Absolutely delicious. Enthusiast grade pour. ) This is a perfect example of what careful pot distillation is capable of. Unhurried and beaming with character, Tom's Foolery has produced a truly lovely bourbon here. Kudos to all involved! WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

What started as a father's post-retirement dream and a son's desire to spend more time with his dad transformed into a year of purposeful planning and the eventual birth of Still Austin Whiskey. Cleveland and his son Chris spent an entire year studying the feasibility of starting a distillery in Austin, which consisted of traveling together, visiting distilleries, and gaining a solid understanding of the market. What I find most interesting (and endearing) about Still Austin's origin story is the way in which whiskey brought the father-son duo together, as only whiskey can, which is highlighted on their website : Prior to this "study" the father-son duo rarely talked with one another but they soon found themselves talking every day. And not just talking about business. After a few whiskeys they were talking about everything—even feelings! As Chris says, "it was the best thing to ever happen to me and my dad. As an added bonus to the duo's year-long study, in 2013, Texas state laws changed, making it easier to open a craft distillery. For both Cleveland and Chris, all signs were pointing toward opening a craft distillery in Texas. With a grain-to-glass philosophy, the duo assembled a team of local farmers, whiskey experts , and local artists to bring Cleveland's vision to life. In an effort to highlight the originality and artistry of making grain-to-glass spirits, Still Austin brought on local artist Marc Burkhardt to commission original hand-painted artwork for their flagship bottle labels. I guarantee it's impossible to separate Still Austin from the beautiful artwork on their labels, as much as it is to remove the word "weird" when mentioning the city of Austin. Today, Still Austin is a multi-award-winning  distillery contributing to Austin's vibrant music community by blending spirits with local culture. And they are thriving! Pictured above and the bottle up for review is one of Still Austin's flagship offerings. Affectionately referred to as a "more metal version of our beloved straight bourbon" on their website, this cask strength bourbon has become quite popular since its release in 2020, thanks in part to a wider distribution and expert palates on the distilling team: Head Distiller John Schrepel, Master Blender Nancy Fraley and Master Distiller Mike Delevante. I was absolutely thrilled when Still Austin hit my local shelves in 2023, and I am honored to feature them on your favorite independent whiskey review site. Company on Label:  Still Austin Whiskey Co. Whiskey Type: Bourbon whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 70% white corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley Proof:  116 ° Age:  at least 2 years Further identification:  This bottle was bought in 2023 and is available for an MSRP of $60.00 Nose:  Citrus bounds out of the glass as I lift it to my nose, a mix of blood orange and tangerines followed by a healthy dose of oak spice, notably cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a distinct creaminess here, too, like a dollop of whipped cream melting over a warmed blondie with roasted pistachio and a drizzle of honey. The slightest whiff of oiled leather reveals itself with a deep inhale, which is crazy given the age statement on this bourbon. It's time for a sip. Returning to the glass after a few tastes, I find fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls, but not the kind Grandma makes; these are the bougie specialty kind I'm not sure actually exist but likely do in some farm-to-table craft restaurant. The ethanol on the nose does become more pronounced as the liquid diminishes in my glass. Much of the earlier rich aromas seem to have been swallowed up at the very end here. The empty glass smells like chocolate chip cookie dough and honey chamomile tea. Palate:  Hello, orange creamsicle. If I ever envisioned enjoying this nostalgic ice cream treat during Christmas (honestly, I never have), this is it. There is so much warmth and rye spice on my tongue, like a well-lived fire warming a drafty room in a brick-lined fireplace. A bigger sip and swish usher in vanilla bean, brown sugar, and a slice of pecan crumble cake. The finish is spiced forward, cinnamon and nutmeg, with a slight savory vinegar note. Like walking through a farmer's market, each flavor has its own dedicated space, but the collective whole makes total sense. Additional sips bring flambéed peaches with orange zest, brown sugar, and a hint of vanilla with a mouth-coating and gum-tingling feel. As the last sip hits my lips, the balance from start to finish and from sweet to spicy remains. This is a warm hug from the grand state of Texas. TL;DR: a flavorful, well-balanced Texas whiskey that will fool you into thinking it's older than its age Rating:  4/5 ( Really good. I want one of these on my shelf. ) The color and flavor of this two year old whiskey have left a long-lasting impression on me since trying it in 2022. There's also a distinct flavor woven throughout; I can blind most of Still Austin's expressions and identify them in a lineup (not a humble brag but a statement of reoccurrence) which speaks to a master blender with a razor-sharp palate. This cask strength bourbon is why I continue to keep an eye on Still Austin. There's magic happening there, and the Still Austin team is harnessing it like true magicians. WRITTEN BY: JES SMYTH W ith what started as a genuine curiosity for the “water of life,” fiction writer and published author Jes Smyth has nurtured her enthusiasm for whiskey ever since. From learning the vast history of whiskey making to celebrating the passion of the industry, she tastes each sip with intention and purpose while expressing the intricacies of whiskey in a relatable and heartfelt way. She is thrilled to be a contributing writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com  and hopes her words will resonate with those ready to explore the beautiful world of whiskey.

With Irish whiskey prices seemingly ever-increasing over the last year, it's harder than ever to find a good deal on a great bottle. I see the dismay in Reddit threads , store shelves, and even my website traffic statistics... People are doing their research before splurging on the same bottles of whiskey that are now showing up on shelves at more than double their old prices. So what gives? I've heard tired excuses of glass shortages, fingers pointed toward the frenzy happening in the bourbon world from 2020 until now, but we'll probably never get a clear answer from the likes of Midleton or their US importer, Pernod Ricard. The simple truth is that they probably just want to make more money, and they think they can at these arbitrarily higher prices for the same, or in some cases worse , products. In any case, I've already ponied up my $250 to find out, so let's dive in to a few tastes of Redbreast 18 year to see if the price hikes have been justified. Company on Label:  Redbreast (Distilled at Midleton Distillery, imported by Pernod Ricard) Whiskey Type:  Single pot still Irish whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  100% malted and unmalted barley Proof:  92° Age:  18 years MSRP: $249.99 Further identification:  This is a new age statement for the Redbreast lineup, which already features 12, 15, 21, and 27 year shelf expressions; this bottling features maturation in bourbon barrels, oloroso sherry, cream sherry, and ruby port casks, first made available in September of 2024 Nose:  Lifting the glass to my nose lets slip cursory notes of light sugar cookie, granulated sugar, and a touch of ethanol. Further inhales spill forth black pepper and nail polish. A slow undercurrent carries clove and a cornucopia fragrance; orange, fig, pumpkin spice, and myrrh all have a dull impression on the senses. The unmitigated smell of ethanol is the most concerning for what is traditionally a creamy, dreamy profile at this proof and age statement. I'm not impressed with the pre-sip nose in the least. After a taste, a balsam fir woodiness dominates over all else. Woah... suddenly, after a protracted period of time in the glass, things finally decide to come alive. Vanilla bean ice cream and sweet floral tones finally show me the Irish whiskey I know and love. Just as soon as that bright spot showed up, out it went like a snuffed-out candle. Following this, there's a kiss of smoke and a light heather undertone that are 3-minute highlights of the hour I spent with this glass. My empty glencairn smells of petunias and Irish cream. Palate:  As liquid hits lips and passes across the tongue, I find raisin bread, chestnuts, and baked potato skins. Right away I find it to be a bit overly earthy to my taste, and the mouthfeel is distinctly thin and boozy. Another sip and swish is thin and lightly creamy, like a vanilla icing spread too thin over a sugar cookie to be really perceptible and enjoyable. The well-rested glass begins to display slightly tannic qualities as the orange and fig notes that the nose introduced begin to take a stronger hold on the tongue. Late in the glass is relatively drinkable but unremarkable as the traditionally oily, creamy pot still distillate fails to live up to expectations, delivering dry oak from a few too many spent casks. The finishing casks influence really isn't noticeable at all here, with the buzzwords "bourbon," "oloroso," "cream sherry," and "ruby port" landing like browbeating advertisements rather than impressionable incremental improvements. My last sip is nothing unusual relative to the rest of the glass. The finish is medium but continues to flail in unmitigated ethanol and a lack of a strong character. TL;DR: A bland Irish whiskey that is slightly creamy in flashes but downright boring most of the time Rating:  2.5/5 ( Okay whiskey. Nothing special about this pour. ) Wrapping up my final thoughts after 4 individual tastings of this release... I'm a little hurt that I spent my hard-earned dollar on this bottle. I know Redbreast (Midleton) is capable of producing a great, flavorful whiskey, but this is not that. This is a way overpriced shelf-turd from Pernod Ricard, and the fact that this is now sitting on shelves across my home state is evidence of that. This release continues to demonstrate a peculiar trend in the Redbreast portfolio: the middle whiskeys all kind of stink compared to the cap ends. Take the ultra-aged examples: Redbreast 27 year and 30 year Dream Cask expressions are both pinnacle whiskeys. There are hidden gems like the first two years of the PX edition too, but the shelf staple 12 year is a defining character for the brand. The 15 year, 21 year, and now this middling 18 year, however? I'd call them duds in comparison. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations; your conscious expands in every direction; and you find yourself in a great, new, and wonderful world." —Patanjali As of January 19th, 2025, it's official—American single malt is a defined whiskey category according to the US government! It was a motion set forth by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission , or the ASMWC for short. We first learned about this watershed moment on December 13th, 2024, when word spread about the favorable ruling from the TTB. You might interject, "But American single malt already existed long before that date!" You wouldn't be wrong about that. Despite single malt being nearly synonymous with Scotch for decades upon decades, there have also been distilleries silently making American single malt since as early as the 1990s. What is new is a collaborative piece of legislation that requires producers using this terminology to follow a specific set of guidelines in order to be considered part of the newly defined category. Cedar Ridge is one of the preeminent proponents of American single malt In order to use American single malt on a whiskey label, producers must follow all of these points: Made from a mash bill of 100% malted barley that was produced in the United States Distilled entirely at one distillery Mashed, fermented, distilled, and matured in the USA Matured in oak casks up to a maximum capacity of 700 liters Distilled to no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume Bottled at no less than 80 proof, or 40% alcohol by volume Additive-free, except for caramel coloring, which is required to be disclosed on the label if used While we've already been celebrating this category and those who are producing great whiskey within it, it's worth noting that this legislation is really good for the whiskey industry as a whole. It sheds new light, offers a full lens of transparency, and brings a heightened awareness toward a budding, flavorful, and robust whiskey world of tomorrow. So which of the presently available American single malts are our favorites? Despite having predated the ratified identity, we'll give you the low-down on the hot new grain in America. Let's dive into our top 5 American single malts! Our Top 5 American Single Malts as of 2025: 5: Jack Daniel's Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt Simple, light, yet teeming with complexity, this 106.5 proof Tennessee-distilled ASM is a great one to convert your bourbon drinking friends with. Strawberry pie, pink floral tones, rounded walnut, and soft flashes of vanilla fill the nose with delight, while banana bread, buttered pecans, coriander, and creamy lemon cake drizzled with a vanilla glaze will have the tongue singing. Despite being bottled in 2022, this one has withstood the test of time as bigger brands have tried—and failed—to live up to this Oloroso sherry-finished treat. ABV: 53.25% // MSRP: $70 4: Stranahan's 2024 Snowflake Colorado Single Malt Limited Release: Batch 27 / Redcloud Peak This is the whiskey folks camp out for in Colorado... Oodles of floral tones present an infinite bouquet for the nose: lavender, geranium, and mountain heather are the most notable. Expect a big chocolate surprise when you least expect it. On the palate, chocolate ganache, graham cracker, salted oysters, and butter tones present themselves like the best kind of night out. At 94 proof, it's easy to savor this one patiently through those cold winter months for maximal enjoyment. ABV: 47% // MSRP: $119.99 3: Cedar Ridge QuintEssential American Single Malt Special Release: Wine Club First Meeting Now we're really getting into the good stuff. Blueberry muffins with a thick crystalline layer of sugar on top lead the way on this powerhouse American single malt. The wine influence cannot be understated here on the nose, each cask adding a new layer of aroma; amontillado sherry, tokaji, moscatel, and pinot noir all get involved at different times. There's red berries for days and an underlying pizza dough aroma that keeps us coming back for more on this one. The palate adds in fig, plum, pear, and cola tones on this well-integrated whiskey. Grilled pineapple is a surprising flash of complexity before a long linger of peach, bundt cake, and brown sugar round things out. An incredible feat of blending, bottled at just the right proof at 108.1° by Murphy Quint and team. ABV: 59.05% // MSRP: $99 2: Cedar Ridge QuintEssential American Single Malt Special Release: Untitled Cigar Malt Project It's a double whammy! The fact that Cedar Ridge landed two consecutive spots on this list should be telling. The consistent greatness coming out of that distillery—for all whiskey categories—is truly impressive. With an attention-grabbing nose offering plump fig, dark red grape, beachside barbecue, and sea salt breeze aromas, what's not to love? It's creamy, bready, and a little bit whimsical—a true ineffable beauty to inhale. On the palate, velvet and cream lead the way through a sweet swing of sherry influence. Toasted bread, melted butter, creamy fig, and blackberry tart are all complex nuances you'll find sipping through this delightful dram. The finish leaves a strong imprint on the mind, a placeholder in time set for revisitation of this lovely, lovely 114.9 proof whiskey. ABV: 57.45% // MSRP: $99 1: Westward Milestone Edition 2 American Single Malt The crème de la crème of American single malt today. Westward Milestone 2 is expertly crafted by Miles Munroe from a 21-barrel solera blending strategy. Each year, a small fraction of the project is pulled for bottling before the blending experiment continues. It's perhaps the closest proper production scale project to the Amongst the Whiskey infinity barrel project . This is the kind of whiskey you could write a book on, and in some ways, Nick already has . The nose is decadent, layered, and sweet with aromas of warm apple cider, cherry cake donut, sweet rum raisin, sticky black forest cake, and Swedish Glögg. The palate leads with cherry cobbler, brown sugar, mulled wine, fried dough, and stewed apricot flavors that bounce around the mouth like a thrilling ping pong match. The adventure in taste continues with intense clarity as vanilla extract, sugar cookie, lemon frosting, and cinnamon-sprinkled apple pie flavors captivate every tastebud in existence. Bravo. ABV: 48.5% // MSRP: $249.95 Honorable Mentions: Westward American Single Malt Bottled-in-Bond  ($99.95) Redwood Empire Foggy Burl ($99) Westward Single Barrel Selection: Vintner's Cuvee  ($99.95) Avoid These: Clermont Steep ($60) Bulleit Single Malt ($60) Yellowstone ASM ($55) It's a beautiful time to be an American whiskey enthusiast. With a brand new category and a whole new realm of possibility ahead of us, there's no telling where this exciting new development could take us. Ardent producers of the craft have already proven that it's possible to make great whiskey using this recipe, but now it's up to the broader market to decide if it's something that has staying power. After tasting the exceptional spirits listed above, our answer is a resounding yes. Written by: The Amongst the Whiskey Team NICK ANDERSON & JES SMYTH

Is it just me, or has the search for the "next best whiskey before something better comes along" culture worn you out, too? As consumers muddle their way through an oversaturated market of rushed releases and mediocre whiskey, I've found independent bottlers to be a saving grace, a breath of fresh air, and a much-needed voice when it comes to discovering new craft distilleries. With the whiskey boom slowly dipping after a herculean presence the last few years, Goliaths like Brown-Forman and Buffalo Trace will undoubtedly be the ones left standing, with nary a scratch on them, other than a few  unfavorable reviews , perhaps. I can't help but wonder, has the next best thing, whatever that means these days, stopped living up to the chase? I believe it has, to a certain extent, which is why it is more important than ever to lift and praise those whiskey producers honoring the process of patiently crafted whiskey. Without a consumer's commitment to the craft of well-made whiskey, the old ways of making whiskey may cease to exist. Luckily, there are still plenty of craft distilleries around pumping out whiskey for us to try. I urge you to continue to pour from a bottle of craft whiskey as much as you can, as I have for this review. Blackfork Farms is a 6th generation farm located in Brandt, South Dakota. With locally grown grains, a double pot distilled process, and barrels made from three-year-air-dried staves, they stand by their motto: "premium grain, premium stills, premium barrels." Their technical approach and use of heirloom smoked corn sets them apart from the crafty crowd. Also, their rye mash bill is the same one George Washington used, which is pretty darn neat in my book and perhaps a future review one day soon. For this review, I had the pleasure of exploring a single barrel straight bourbon whiskey. Thanks to Two Souls Spirits for providing this sample. I'm grateful for the continued opportunity to review their products and am excited to dive into this latest release. So, let's get to it, shall we? Company on Label:  Two Souls Spirits featuring Blackfork Farms Whiskey Type:  Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  57% corn, 25% wheat, 5% German rye, 13% malted barley Proof:  124 ° Age:  6 years MSRP: $89.99 Further Identification:  Distilled from 100% South Dakota grain, this four grain bourbon features applewood smoked heirloom corn Nose:  Right out of the gate, this nose is creamy and viscous with a distinct cinder and soot. Like a flash in a hot pan, the aromas change to freshly dipped caramel apples on a wood stick and warmed asphalt. It may sound strange, but I'm enticed by this complexity already! Hints of dark chocolate, the super dark 90% bars, come in next and the hardened bits of brown sugar you would find in a bag that doesn't get used often for baking. Deeper inhales produce a wet and damp quality, like a summer rainstorm pattering down on the streets in a small town surrounded by corn fields. I'm utterly captivated. After a taste, I am pleased to find barrel funk. A good thing, in my opinion, to smell the craft in craft whiskey. This funk smells of sweet caramel chews and the dredges of tea leaves at the bottom of a day-old tea pot. I also find browned apple slices and whiffs of smoke from a burnt-out cinnamon-scented candle. Late in the glass, aromas seem to settle into the trifecta of what makes this bourbon unique—apple, smoke, and corn. The empty glencarin smells of incense ash, antique oriental rugs, and dried wildflowers. Palate:  Thick and creamy with a dough-like quality that dances across the tongue. I'm finding moist apple muffins, caramel dipping sauce, and whiffs of smoke from an open fire in a springtime backyard. Another sip ushers in sweet cinnamon sugared popcorn and ash from a cast iron wood stove. This finish toes the line of acidic, like biting into a fresh, crisp granny smith apple. The linger is a bit metallic in taste, which may be the smoked corn at play. Further sips taste like milk duds melting on your tongue after a meal of smoked meats. This pour is taking me to summer fields filled with corn and a warm breeze dancing across bare legs. The flavors are well-balanced, and the proof is not too overpowering. As the liquid grows low in my glass, I'm held in a lovely hug of smoky cinnamon. TL;DR: complex and captivating, this pour will reinvigorate an adoration for well-made bourbon! Rating:  4/5 Really good. I want one of these on my shel f. This craft distillery is one my worn-out whiskey soul needed to explore and taste. Will this exploration serve as a much-needed reinvigorated view of the landscape of whiskey? Maybe. At the very least, I feel inspired to share this bottle with anyone willing to try it, a feeling similar to recommending a captivating book. And that, for me, says something.   WRITTEN BY: JES SMYTH W ith what started as a genuine curiosity for the “water of life,” fiction writer and published author Jes Smyth has nurtured her enthusiasm for whiskey ever since. From learning the vast history of whiskey making to celebrating the passion of the industry, she tastes each sip with intention and purpose while expressing the intricacies of whiskey in a relatable and heartfelt way. She is thrilled to be a contributing writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com  and hopes her words will resonate with those ready to explore the beautiful world of whiskey.

Redwood Empire is once again making waves in the whiskey world with two new releases under the Haystack Needle label. With a slight redesign and a bit of fancy glass that make the exterior of this bottle look like a tree trunk, Haystack Needle is ready to reinvent itself from the old days of being a sourced MGP release. Now fully containing only their own distillate, we're finally getting to see what the art of enduring craft whiskey brands looks like in the modern whiskey era. Bottling individually numbered barrels of both bourbon and rye, Jeff Duckhorn and team are just now getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor that went into the barrel 8 long years ago. As we all know, patience is key in whiskey, and some of the distillation and maturation techniques that Redwood Empire employs are evidence of their commitment to that virtue. Redwood Empire's micro-column still While distilling on a continuous column still isn't my favorite method for distillation, the locally sourced grains, fermentation done in small lots, distillation done in small batches, and new make being matured in barrels that have been open-air seasoned for no less than 36 months are all ticks in the "doing things right" column for me. The longer barrel seasoning duration is really the key for me here, though. The industry norm is usually something between 12 and 24 months. I've seen many modern brands tout 18 months as a badge of honor for their patience. Redwood Empire takes that a step further, choosing to follow old-school cooperage rules from an era when assiduity was far more commonplace. Not rushing the air seasoning step lets the natural process of partial oak degradation occur, a technique that is well known to strip tannins from the cell structure of the wood. The end result of longer air seasoning? Less sharp notes that impair and mask those buttery characteristics of great whiskey. Our distillery is in the heart of the Russian River Valley wine region. It was carved out of the buildings originally housing an apple canning and processing plant owned by the Hallberg family, one of the area’s preeminent families during “West County’s” apple production heyday. The Hallbergs were known for producing a wide variety of apple products, mainly under the Redwood Empire label. Today, the facility and the climate make this the ideal place to make great whiskey, with plenty of relics on site to remind us of our ties to a rich agricultural history. Lauren Patz and Jeff Duckhorn standing in front of their palletized barrels Interestingly, Redwood Empire utilizes a palletized barrel storage technique where the barrels are stored upright, with a removeable bung on the top head; they say, for earthquake safety. I've long thought that this style of barrel storage limits airflow between the barrels, potentially impacting the aging process of certain parts of the rickhouse, but I'm always willing to be proven wrong by a taste test. We're living through a new era of whiskey, one in which old tricks have the potential to be beaten by new innovations. Is Redwood Empire setting off on the right track to be successful for years to come? Well, we're going to have to taste thoughtfully to determine that. So let's get to it, shall we? Company on Label:  Redwood Empire Distilling Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  90% rye, 5% malted barley, 5% wheat Proof:  115.2° Age:  8 years MSRP:  $120 Further Identification:  This is single barrel number 1,500, distilled and bottled by Redwood Empire—no longer the sourced MGP label it used to be—offering grain-to-glass Sonoma County, CA character Nose:  Upon lifting the glass to my nose, I find a rich barrel funk and earthy clay first and foremost. Hints of butterscotch follow, before crème de menthe, limoncello, and green chartreuse come together to create the leading profile. There's a quick evolution towards black pepper, allspice, and a kiss of clove before settling back into an earthy scene. Pine needles, wintergreen, funky oak, and lemon pepper come together in a cohesive, dashing, and daring assemblage of realistic outdoor scents. I find myself amongst the trees with this pour—somewhere I long to be on these drawn-out winter nights, barred in by frigid winds and quiet desolation. A good whiskey has the power to transport; this is one such glass. Long inhales produce a slight fruity note of fig jam and raspberry compote, backboned by woodspice and almond extract. After a sip, the nose turns towards more earthy again, and I almost begin to get a dusty vibe happening—think 1969 National Distillers Old Crow Chessman, just with less rich, viscous butterscotch and more rye character. After the better part of an hour in the glass, the aromas are quite settled into their comfortable places. A jar of nutmeg rests on a wooden mantle, sweet peach chunks sit just below a baked pie crust, and a hard lemon lollipop awaits a first lick. The empty glencairn smells of vintage clothes racks, cacao, cedar, and mugwart incense. Palate:  My first sip is the perfect balance between zesty and creamy. Lemon frosting leads the charge in the front of the mouth, before creamy Earl Gray tea smoothes the tongue into a soft, velvety blanket. The mouthcoating is solidly oily, something I think is quite important for a satisfying sip. Another sip and swish is a touch more potent, with bergamot, expressed lemon peel, and tamarind coming together nicely. As sips continue, the lovely creamy tones continue as coconut cream, dulce de leche, and flan make my taste buds quite happy. The only qualm I can find is a slight medicinal cherry note and a touch of licorice; both of these notes are infinitesimal compared to the characteristics of the rest of the glass, so I won't knock it too much. Late in the glass, a soft mulled wine comes to pass, a fun flash of complexity on a nuanced, developing profile. My last sip is lemon tea and funky butterscotch for days with Christmas spice tingling across the tongue on an impeccably long finish. Yum! TL;DR: An earthy, woodsy rye that transports the sipper right to where this whiskey was made Rating:  4/5 Really good. I want one of these on my shelf. This is a damn good rye. I think Jeff Duckhorn and team are really coming into their own this year, and I hope they can continue to put out some consistent greats like this bottle moving forward. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

The first release of Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse is iconic: this may be the last release to feature whiskey aged in the Camp Nelson warehouse C, which has now been dismantled due to structural integrity concerns after continuous use since 1946. The Camp Nelson rickhouses, purchased in the 1990s by Pernod Ricard, border the Kentucky River roughly 45 minutes away from the Wild Turkey distillery. David Jennings, the sensational eminent source for all things Wild Turkey, notes that these rickhouses formerly aged Canada Dry bourbon. Yes, that  Canada dry. The ginger ale producer bottled their bourbon from the 1950s through the 1970s, perhaps attributing to some of the unique characteristics of Camp Nelson that have stuck around into the modern era. Wild Turkey Camp Nelson rickhouse map, courtesy of Bo Garret, via rarebird101.com First released in October of 2022, Single Rickhouse took the whiskey world by storm. What had everyone up in arms? The crossroads of a novel label concept and the ultra-premium price point that came along with this release. Hitting retailers at an MSRP of $250 meant that only ardent fans of Wild Turkey, flippers, and collectors were gleefully scooping up this new label. Those that opened it also had a lot to say. While I'm quite late to the party, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to weigh in and offer my own point of view from an era in whiskey that will undoubtedly be categorized by a plethora of loud opinions. Company on Label:   Wild Turkey Distillery Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley Proof:  112.4° Age:  NAS, though it's supposedly comprised of all 10+ year old barrels MSRP:  $250 Further identification:  This is the inaugural release of single rickhouse, highlighting 72 barrels pulled from the 3rd and 4th floors of the now-dismantled and decommissioned Camp Nelson warehouse C; I'm grateful to James Wedding for sending along a 2 oz sample for the purposes of this review Nose:  On lifting the glass to my nose, I find classic Wild Turkey—sticky vanilla toffee, crème brûlée, and potent oak lead the way. It's got your classic, well-aged Kentucky wood spice, leaning on cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and black pepper. Deep inhales lead a touch dry, with allspice and vanilla bean dominating the profile. Smelling this glass completely transports me to standing in a rickhouse with Bruce Russell; funky wood aromas are everywhere. Vanilla, toffee, and a good bit of proof are the dominant fixtures on the nose here. After a sip, the nose marches on with little change—vanilla extract, allspice, and toffee are moored to my glencairn. As the glass nears empty, the volume of aroma begins to fail drastically, as only wisps of pie crust and crème brûlée remain. The empty glencairn smells of potting soil and petunias. Palate:  My first sip is surprisingly floral, in contrast to the classic wood influence my nose was picking up. Another few sips settles the difference with vanilla whoopie pie filling, rum cashew, pecan, and milk chocolate rounding out a more complete profile. It's surprisingly light, and I find myself struggling to find an inherent quality to adore, other than the fact that this is an old faithful bourbon mashbill, distilled for many years now. To me, it doesn't drink all that far off from Wild Turkey 101, a staple bourbon in the whiskey world. A few sips, and the observer is likely to be apodictic in an educated guess as to the source of this distillate. My last taste leaves me longing for a more impressionable experience that I know Wild Turkey is capable of producing. I find thin veins of lemon juice and green tea in the medium finish. TL;DR: A nice nose gives way to a blended-to-bits palate that doesn't quite register as unique Rating:  3/5 Middle of the road whiskey. An average showing. This is a far cry from Wild Turkey greatness. The likes of Russell's 13 year quickly outpace this pour in more ways than one, and that's without even thinking about the cost discrepancies. The premiumization trend is very likely to bust here soon, and releases like this are certainly going to sour the taste in long-term whiskey enthusiasts' mouths. For those of us that are here to stay through boom and bust, these kinds of marketing gimmicks are one way to quickly self-immolate hard-earned respect. While this is by no means a bad bottle of whiskey, I fail to see a good justification for its existence when Russell's 10 year, Russell's 13 year , Kentucky Spirit , Rare Breed , and single barrel bourbon selections already produce the same range of aroma and flavor, sometimes even in exceeding quality. Here's to hoping later expressions from Single Rickhouse can improve from the experience here. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

What happens when a group of whiskey enthusiasts from all over the US descend into the marvelous land of corn to visit a distillery producing the number one bourbon in their state? Greatness. That's what. But we're not here to chat about bourbon, although Cedar Ridge does also produce one hell of a bourbon and rye, something we can certainly confirm . We're here to talk about the latest American single malt release from Cedar Ridge, which we think you should have on your radar. Why? We got to try it straight from the vat pictured above, where Murphy Quint has been blending barrels for the last six months. The Amongst the Whiskey team was geeking out at the opportunity to taste a release that Murphy seemed more than eager to share as a follow-up to the smashing success of the Untitled Cigar Malt Project . A full vat gets a little less full... As Murph thieved from the vat, we were told this was their fourth special release that he had been blending since April. Timing is everything, it seems—with whiskey, experiences, and life—as we found kismet in being the first outside palates to try it aside from Cedar Ridge employees. Murphy seems to have hit a stride with his blending process, which he admitted has evolved with each release. Typically, blending takes him up to 3 months before he feels confident enough that it's ready to be bottled. This particular project took twice that time. Wondering how this vat compares to the last bottling? We'll get to that. As for a bottling date for this one, we can only speculate, but the label is approved at least. Starting this project with a base of single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels means this was already born from a place of low tannins - a good thing for a project that would go on to feature so many different wine casks influences. Wine casks have been used to age whiskey and whisky, intentionally omitting the 'e' here, for decades. The Scotch and Irish whiskey industries have been built on reused, retooled, and refurbished casks from many other industries. Spain, France, Portugal, Hungary, and America are all much larger oak producers than the more sparse islands of Ireland and Scotland. As such, we know what happens when these barrels get imparted with a fruit-forward wine before putting new make whisk(e)y into it—you get some extra flavor from the previous oak interactions. This influence is a massive lever that distilleries can pull on these days to produce nuanced, differentiated products. Murphy Quint has pushed all in on finding the best casks to work with. He showed us many of them in Warehouse 4, a place everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Ramon was certainly excited in this warehouse, finding a mighty fine Amontillado barrel to drool over. On the nuance of whiskey making, Murph is quoted on their website saying: "The beautiful thing about whiskey is that there is no right or wrong. Each barrel is different, with its own unique strengths and limitations. Your role is to discover them." Distilling since 2005 has meant that the Quint family has learned a thing or two about what makes good whiskey. They've gone through a growing array of 4 Christian Carl copper stills, and even recently adopted a grain-out distilling approach that has their finished mash pressed through an array of filters to extract all the usable liquid they can, increasing efficiency in a way that doesn't compromise on flavor. If you thought smelling a glass of whiskey was potent, try sticking your nose above 1000 liters of the stuff. The wave of aroma that comes off that volume of alcohol is intoxicating to say the least, but we were on a mission to discover the flavor of this project, so out came a round of glencairns, and away we tasted. Are you ready to hear about it? Let's get into it. January 8th, 2025 update: the tasting notes below were expanded after both Nick and Jes were able to taste this release again as-bottled. Company on Label:  Cedar Ridge Whiskey Type:  American single malt Mash Bill Percentages:  100% malted barley Proof:  118.1 ° Age:  NAS MSRP: $99 Further identification: The 2024 release of QuintEssential Special Release is a 2-row pale malted barley mash aged in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in first-fill amontillado, sherry, tokaji, and moscatel casks before being blended with peated malt that was finally finished in pinot noir casks Nose:  The nose leads with remarkably clear, thick, jammy blueberry muffin aromas, the top forming that sweet crystalline sugar layer that tickles at the tongue. Milk chocolate follows before the wine influence begins to make itself known. The amontillado cask influence procures sweet cream, fig, and tobacco. Tokaji layers in apricot and honey. Moscatel introduces sweet pomelo before the darker loganberry of the pinot noir rounds things out. It's such an unbelievably dense whiskey in the nose. There's a creamy approachability all throughout the pour that produces a touch less wow factor than the Untitled Cigar Malt Project but offers oodles more approachability. Little evidence of peated malt can be found on deep inhales, though a sticky pizza dough aroma smells as if it were dropped in a fine, dry dirt. Late in the glass, it's a picturesque medley of delicate red fruit. The empty glencairn smells slightly phenolic, with aromas of salt, moss, stone, and burnt campfire wood. Palate:  On first taste, we were immediately surprised by the flavor of a good wood-fired pizza. It took us to a brick hearth, pouring out the radiant heat of a crackling fire. Creamy tones are prevalent on this silky mouthfeel. Fig, plum, pear, and cola tones are all incredibly well integrated on the sip before the charred crust of the wood-fired pizza swings in on the linger. It's funky like a lot of American single malt is, but in only the way that Cedar Ridge can produce. It's a thick, sticky, melt-in-your-mouth whiskey that refuses to be ignored as the flavor knob goes to 11. Grilled pineapple is a surprising complexity we didn't have on our ASM bingo card. Late in the glass, some notes reminiscent of the previous project surface: toasted bread, melted butter, grape jam, and blackberry tart all dance wonderfully in the mouth. Subsequent sips are surprisingly minty as the previous notes continue to meld and mingle. As the final sip slips past our taste buds, we're left with a satisfying wave of peach, bundt cake, and brown sugar that finishes long and undulating with notes of subtle milk chocolate, cardamom, thyme, and clove. TL;DR: A softer, more elegant, and refined rendition of the QuintEssential Special Release series Rating:  4.5/5 ( Absolutely delicious. Enthusiast grade pour. ) After a hilarious verbal description of the whiskey reminding us of a crackling fire, one of our tasters remarked, "You prescribe sounds to tasting notes, you're the only person I know who can do that." Well, when the whiskey speaks to you, you listen. This one called to us from afar until it was reunited with our glencairn, and we're certainly happy to have this bottle in hand to enjoy with friends and family! We tried our hand at blending better than Murph , but ultimately he's got a much better knack for it. Keep your eyes peeled for more from this incredible Iowa distillery. Written by: The Amongst the Whiskey Team NICK ANDERSON & JES SMYTH

Several Stagg Jr. batches swooped in late this year from Buffalo Trace Distillery, with both 24B and 24C hitting shelves right at the 2024 buzzer. If you recall my review of the 24A batch of Stagg , this label has started to leave me a little disillusioned as of late. Batch 24A placing way down in 10th place on my power ranking of all the batches I have tried makes me wonder if there's some higher forces at work here: new blenders, changing stocks, rushed schedules? Who knows. For now, I'll be grateful to have secured a bottle of batch 24C, which I bought with my own scratch for the purposes of a review. I have a bottle of 24B en route now too, but it was not available in time for a comparative tasting. Make sure you check back in on the Stagg Hub page from time to time (I recommend bookmarking it) to get the latest scoop on everything there is to know about Stagg—both junior and senior. So relax, don your reading spectacles, and settle in for a deep dive on what makes batch 24C tick. This is my well-triangulated opinion formed over a minimum of three tastings, tasted neat in a glencairn, in accordance with my editorial policy . Company on Label:  Buffalo Trace Distillery Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  Undisclosed Buffalo Trace mash bill #1 (high corn, low rye, malted barley) Proof:  128.9° Age:  NAS (rumored to be around ~8 years old) MSRP: $70 Further identification:  The third release of Stagg Jr for the 2024 calendar year is batch 24C; the bottle under review was purchased from a Virginia ABC store Nose:  The nose leads with hot and boozy vanilla extract. Angel food cake follows shortly after on the warming glass. Early on in the glass it is a hasty and hurried array of aromas: there's flashes of savory tones, toffee, and the slightly synthetic chocolate of a tootsie roll. Deep inhales produce notes that are musty, sharp, disjointed, harsh, and proofy. Vanilla and castoreum aromas are the most dominant, oddly. There's also a medicinal characteristic to this reminiscent of cherry cough syrup. Sweet tarts come to mind suddenly in this all-over-the-map pour. Play dough and popsicle sticks give the feeling of the arts and crafts department. There's plenty of unmitigated ethanol all throughout the cloud of vaporized bourbon sitting in the bulb of my glencairn. I don't like this very much, but the vanilla cake and bready tones are somewhat redeeming. After a sip, the savory tones amplify, calling to mind a stale barbecue sauce that's been on the fridge door for too long. In contrast to the clusterfuck of early aromas, the glass has settled into a very one-dimensional profile of dull leather and brown sugar. Late in the glass is muted as can be, with some subtle floral tones, something like the perfume you might find on hugging your elderly grandmother. The empty glass smells of bar mats: stale alcohol, plastic, and regret. Palate:  Holy hot. Wow, this is an odd pour. At first taste, I find the same medicinal cherry from the nose, now magma hot, and drizzled over pancakes. If you're into cough syrup pancakes, this might be the pour for you, but for me, it's a disaster of a first sip that makes my face scrunch in disapproval. The linger is impossibly drying and leaves no desire for further sipping. Forcing myself into another sip is much of the same as the first that concludes with an alacritous wave of cinnamon hots. Tasting late in the glass reveals a stale box of fruit loops, utterly unsatisfying. With strong airation, the dominant vanilla and toffee tones return in a miniscule moment of enjoyment, if you could call it that. The finish is short, flat, and completely stale, like cherry cola gone bad. My last taste offers cinnamon graham cracker and the same short, dry, disappointing finish as the rest of the glass. TL;DR: This batch only fluctuates between two low points: a synthetic hot mess and flat, muted tones Rating:  1.5/5 ( Not good. Definitely not my jam. ) This is the worst batch of Stagg Junior I have ever tasted. Put next to my last-place batch 13 , 24C even makes that 2/5 rating seem enjoyable. I admittedly spittooned my last sip of this pour, not deeming it worthy of passing through the crucial, finite resource that is my liver. After 4 tastings of this batch, I have to say, this really isn't anything special. At times there are glimmers of hope, but they are so tamped down by flaws that I couldn't possibly endorse this batch as anything better than a hot mess. Perhaps it's due to the rushed release of both 24B and 24C dropping right at the tail end of the 2024 calendar year that forced the team to have to slap a subpar product together, or perhaps the stocks of well-aged bourbon typically set aside for this label are just not producing the flavors they once did. Since moving to the 3-release-per-year cadence, I've really been quite disappointed in the quality of these batches overall. I can certainly say with confidence that this is one I won't be sipping again. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

Wisconsin Craft is back at it again with independent bottlers extraordinaire Two Souls Spirits . Wollersheim Distillery, located in the rolling hills of Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin (yes, exciting topography!), was first introduced to the Amongst the Whiskey Team via Two Souls Spirits Spring 2024 release of "Wisconsin Waffles" . We had high praise for this release and, as such, were thrilled to learn that a second rye barrel from Wollersheim was being released as a "sister" to the first. Like most siblings who like to stand out amongst their own, this barrel seems intent on doing just that. First aged in a vanilla toasted barrel and finished for nearly a year in a maple bourbon barrel, I think it's safe to say this rye whiskey will have a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to its tasting notes. Thanks to James and Chad from Two Souls Spirits for providing this sample. I'm grateful for the continued opportunity to review their products and am excited to dive into this latest release. So, let's get to it, shall we? Company on Label:  Two Souls Spirits featuring Wollersheim Distillery Whiskey Type:  Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  66% rye, 22% corn, 12% malted barley Proof:  126 ° Age:  6 years Further identification:  This rye whiskey was aged in a vanilla toasted barrel and finished in a maple bourbon barrel and is available exclusively on Two Souls Spirits website for $89.99 Nose:  Immediately, I am struck by the uniqueness wafting out of my glass, a distinct and rich barrel funk that has my eyebrows raised and my attention zeroed in. There are layers of aromas happening seemingly all at once: gooey, warm cinnamon coffee cake, sweet molasses toeing the line of almost burnt, and a rustic dampness that reminds me of old floorboards in a woodshed or hunting cabin. Swirling releases a hint of baked plum, lemon juice, and a forest floor filled with dried pine needles. Returning to the glass after a few sips amplifies the complexity. I find pan renderings from a Saturday morning of flipping flapjacks, burnt butter, and crystalized maple syrup. Palate:  Up front, this is uber-sweet for a rye; think old-fashioned candy made with raw and real sugar. The mouthfeel is silk, though, which is always a great first impression. Back to that sweetness, maple syrup is dripping off a stack of pancakes and onto a plate dusted with cinnamon. Black pepper bounces off my taste buds before a good amount of heat takes over completely. The shimmering sweetness comes back into play with a second sip. A flash of lemon tea and a spoonful of maple syrup dance around my mouth before a slightly drying but sweet linger takes over like the memory of a just-eaten chocolate chip cookie. More sips bring out ginger snap cookies, molasses, sticky maple syrup buns, and a hint of mint leaf on the finish. My palate is ping-ponging between these varying tastes, which is a bit disjointing, but I understand the value of the long game here. The final sip is allspice and black pepper with a warming blanket of sugared cinnamon. Empty Glass Aromas:  Discarded Werther's caramel wrappers, stale cinnamon sticks, and dried apple chips. TL;DR: an engaging game between sweeter tones and cinnamon spice that will keep your attention! Rating:  3.5/5 ( Good enough. There's something to enjoy here. ) This is a solid example of a true craft whiskey that you can have some fun with and a testament to why I hold great respect for American independent bottlers like Two Souls Spirits. Their willingness to step outside the box by showcasing lesser-known distilleries and adding their own flare to the end product is the energy we need In today's played-out whiskey market. I recommend this bottle to true craft whiskey enthusiasts with the stamina to play against a bottle that has a few complex moves at the ready.   WRITTEN BY: JES SMYTH W ith what started as a genuine curiosity for the “water of life,” fiction writer and published author Jes Smyth has nurtured her enthusiasm for whiskey ever since. From learning the vast history of whiskey making to celebrating the passion of the industry, she tastes each sip with intention and purpose while expressing the intricacies of whiskey in a relatable and heartfelt way. She is thrilled to be a contributing writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com  and hopes her words will resonate with those ready to explore the beautiful world of whiskey.

What makes a modern distillery stand out from the crowd? Old-school low and slow distillation methods are one way you'll surely capture my attention. Many of you know that I have had quite a bit of dusty whiskey experience. From old Monongahela Sam Thompson to Overholt , Mount Vernon , Schenley , and beyond —my tasting pedigree runs deep. Things that run common through many of those mentioned distilleries are low barrel entry proof, copper pot still distillation, long, low-heat fermentation cycles in cypress tanks, great cooperage, and high-quality grains. Vintage whiskey, something I would also call 'palate calibration' Enter: Liberty Pole Distillery in Washington, PA. Founded in July 2016 by the Hough family (Jim, Ellen, Rob, and Kevin) with a keen eye towards history, their main mission was to revitalize the Monongahela rye style that was completely decimated during the onset of Prohibition. In 2024, they hit stride and succeeded in their mission with their first release of Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye Whiskey . Their core range of whiskey also includes peated rye, peated bourbon, wheated bourbon, and corn whiskey. Of course, with the recent resurgence of the bourbon industry, one can't fault a distillery for also producing what is in vogue. Today I'm happy to be able to introduce a new up-and-coming core product as well: high rye bourbon. Jim mentioned in a letter to me that the family was a bit bothered by the fact that some Kentucky style ryes are made with the minimum legally allowable limit of rye, 51%. Being such fans of distilling with rye, they decided to turn the table on this egregious mash bill and produce their own version of barely legal: a 51% corn bourbon. The fact that all the corn used is heirloom varietal Bloody Butcher corn is even better in my book. This mash bill began ramping up in production in 2021, so as of today, you'll only see this released in limited single barrels from the distillery, like the bottle under review here, a Thanksgiving 3 barrel drop that sold out in just a few hours. As of right now, it's not even listed on their website , but you should see more of this label in the next 12–18 months. Wondering what makes Liberty Pole so unique as a Pennsylvania craft whiskey producer? I got the full rundown from Jim Hough in a recent discourse. We are an 8 year old family owned distillery. My wife Ellen is the point person behind our branding, the Meetinghouse, and cocktail experience at our distillery. My sons Rob and Kevin are the main distilling team, while I handle a lot of the sales and marketing work. I was a hobby distiller back in the early 2000's and developed a number of the core mash bills we continue to use today. My sons were science oriented kids and spent a lot of time with me on the back deck during their middle and high school years learning about the science of fermentation and distilling. After graduating with Mechanical Engineering degrees and starting their own careers, I got the bright idea to start a distillery as I had grown tired and frustrated with my day job. We formed our LLC in 2015 and opened our doors to the public on July 9, 2016. Rob and Kevin joined full time a few months later. We have just recently moved into a brand new distillery campus consisting of an 8,000 square foot production facility, a colonial themed Meetinghouse where we serve craft cocktails and small bites, and a 3,600 barrel capacity KY style rickhouse (the only rickhouse in PA). We are pot still evangelists. We use locally grown PA cereal grains for all of our whiskeys. We use Bloody Butcher corn exclusively for all of our corn based whiskeys. Bloody Butcher is a non GMO heritage corn that contributes an incredible amount of flavor to our bourbons and corn whiskey. We have a 1,000 gallon distillation system consisting of a 1,000 gallon mash cooker, four 1,000 gallon fermenters (stainless steel, open top), a 1,000 gallon stripping still from Vendome, and a 600 gallon spirit still from Specific Mechanical out of Victoria BC. We mill all of our grains in house right before mashing to ensure maximum freshness. After mashing, we transfer to one of our fermenters and do a 6 day, grain in, open top ferment using a distillers yeast we get from Ferm Solutions. While primary fermentation is typically complete in 48 to 72 hours, we love the flavors that develop during secondary fermentation with the various wild yeasts that exist in our distillery. After fermentation, we transfer the 8-10% abv beer to our Vendome pot still and do a grain-in stripping run. The whiskey helmet on our stripping still is purposely designed to be short and squat with a downward facing lyne arm to make it as easy as possible to push those grain flavors and heavier compounds and oils into our low wines collection tank. Our low wines usually have a proof in tank of about 60 proof. After stripping, we run the leftover stillage through our centrifuge which separates the grain from the liquid that remains in the still. We give the grain to a local farmer to feed his cows. The final step in the distillation process is our spirit run. We transfer the low wines described above and, using our experience with pot distillation, do a slow run for this second distillation. Here we are focusing on making those all important cuts to ensure that we capture proper amounts of heads, hearts and tails into our final distillate. The final proof in tank of our distillate is usually somewhere between 130 and 135 proof. We transfer these "high wines" to our cistern where we proof down using reverse osmosis water to our barrel entry proof of 108. We use a heavy toast, light to medium char 53 gallon barrel from the West Virginia Great Barrel Co. Lower proof distillate will interact with the wood sugars more easily due to the fact that those sugars are more soluble with water than they are with alcohols. We are producing about 60% more whiskey than we are consuming at the moment. That disparity is allowing us to continue to add age to our whiskeys. Right now, we are only considering barrels that are over 3.5 years old and most of our blends these days are a mix of 3.5 to 4.5 year old barrels. We hope to be using exclusively 4 year old barrels in all of our blends in the next year or so. Well, to my mind that surely sounds familiar to the low and slow methods I mentioned earlier from the pre-prohibition distilling era. Pot stills are really the only way I've found modern distillate to be as consistently flavorful as the great dusty-era whiskeys I've tried, though there are certainly exceptions to that generalization. If you've never toured a fully functioning distillery, the drone flythrough on their website is completely captivating; I think I've watched it loop at least 8 times already. As for the bottle under review, it was provided to me by Jim at no cost for the purposes of a review. I appreciate the opportunity to give it an honest taste through with no strings attached. Ready to find out what this high rye bourbon is all about? Let's dive into some details and notes! Company on Label:  Liberty Pole Spirits Whiskey Type:  Pennsylvania straight bourbon whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  51% Bloody Butcher corn, 40% rye, 9% malted barley Proof:  113.8° Age:  4 years, 10 months MSRP: $66 Further Identification:  Barreled at an entry proof of 108° on 1/10/2020 and bottled 11/15/2024; this is bottle 145 of 177 from single barrel 518 named "All the fixins" in reference to the tasting notes aligning well to the dinner table accoutrements for a Thanksgiving time release Nose:  Lifting the glass to my nose reveals a character-rich craft whiskey. Cherry bubblegum leads with an underlying sweetness like some kind of ICEE concoction from the local convenience store. There's a layered complexity to this, just the kind of thing that happens when you put great new-make bourbon into well-coopered barrels at a lower entry proof. There's a stick web of flavor with sorghum at its heart, but sweet perfume notes, fruity esters, and buttery slivered almonds emanate from that lovely starting point. Cherry blossom, strawberry Airheads, and sour apple Laffy Taffy culminate in a transcending transformation. I'd have named this one "Pinches & Pounds" after the candy shop in my hometown. As the candy tones begin to fade, I find the unsweetened cranberry sauce aroma that inspired the actual name for this barrel. This is a lovely treat in the glass. After a sip, hints of oiled leather, brown sugar, anise, and caramel chews build well. Late in the glass, potent aromas continue to dance with sweet notes of dark buckwheat honey that make my eyelashes flutter in flirtatious affection. This is a swoony nose that develops marvelously with time and air. The empty glencairn smells of dusty bourbon, vintage leather, and Butterfinger candy bars. Palate:  My first sip is hefty, leading with soup spices and herbs: black pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, and cow-horn cayenne pepper somehow work incredibly well on this bourbon profile. Overall, it's quite reminiscent of some old dusty ryes with these leading notes. Another sip layers in the sweet factory: cranberry juice, blackstrap molasses, and pear liqueur build well. Sipping later in the glass reveals great wood spice, suggesting adequate aging has been accomplished as toasted coconut lactones and clove-forward eugenol notes jump into the foreground. The linger is long and smoldering with candied cinnamon, anise, persimmon, and grenadine. There's a subtle smokiness that may have me hoping to play with some other toast and char profiles for this particular distillate. My last sip is thoroughly enjoyable as a fire-baked Dutch oven blackberry peach cobbler sweeps across my mind. The finish is determined to last forever with an enduring disposition. Hints of stewed plum, apricot, and black cherry give me hair-raising, contented chills. TL;DR: Bold character from a bourbon mash bill that leans in hard on great, flavorful grain Rating:  4/5 ( Really good. I want one of these on my shelf. ) I'm thrilled to see distilleries like Liberty Pole being willing to eschew the temptation to maximize their proof gallon production and explore the time-old tradition of low barrel entry proof. This is the way whiskey was made pre-prohibition and why you'll find ardent enthusiasts like myself celebrating the return of such practices. Most distilleries are optimizing for maximum efficiency, answering primarily to their shareholders, and neglecting thoughts on how to maximize quality. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.

A forgotten grain, saved by the United States Department of Agriculture seed bank, flourishing back to life in the rightful home of rye whiskey. This is the incredible story of Rosen rye, a grain invented first in 1909 that saw widespread use throughout the northeast for superior whiskey production. This hardy, custom grain was used up until 1970, when incremental accidental crossbreeding eventually made it indistinguishable from other rye of the time. What's incredibly cool is that this rye varietal was likely used by the likes of all kinds of Monongahela rye producers under the Schenley umbrella , such as the Large, Finch, and Sam Thompson distilleries. Having intimately tasted many of these producers, I can say with certainty that I am a fan of what these distilleries were producing back in the day. Typical production tools of the time were cypress fermentation tanks, steam-heated barrel warehouses, and a still with a thumper/doubler, all of which Stoll & Wolfe are using too. To see some of the old methods at work today certainly warms my whiskey-loving heart. For those who don't know Stoll & Wolfe, I'll include a few snippets from their press release on the debut release of Rosen rye. A revival of Rosen in 2015 led to the involvement of the distillery team at Stoll & Wolfe, including Erik Wolfe and former legendary Historic Pennsylvania Michter’s Distillery master distiller Dick Stoll, to bring this grain back to whiskey making. Stoll, in particular, was directly associated with this rye, having been the last distiller to produce a run of the whiskey before the Pennsylvania-based distillery was shuttered. Unfortunately, Stoll, who distilled the first Rosen Rye in nearly 50 years in 2019, passed away before the final whiskey was released. Dick Stoll & Erik Wolfe (Photo by Jordan Bush Photo, via WhiskyAdvocate.com) “Dick’s legacy is part of the founding story of Stoll & Wolfe,” said Wolfe. “This Rosen Rye whiskey we are releasing at four years of age reflects his vision in how we produce this heritage grain expression.” A unique thing to note with this whiskey’s release is its ties to the family story of Stoll & Wolfe. The Rosen Rye grown for it comes from the Kline Family Farm, just two miles from the Lititz, PA-based distillery. The farm has a family connection with the distillery, as their shared 7x great grandfather William Kline started the farm in 1741, with it remaining in the family. “I’m proud of my family’s direction connection to the whiskey in these bottles,” noted Wolfe. “It makes this particular release all the more special.” I've long waxed poetic that we're currently living through the next rye renaissance . At the forefront of this revival are magnanimous players like the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation, Greg Roth of Penn State, and Stoll & Wolfe Distillery. I've seen a number of other Pennsylvania distillers also leaning in on Rosen rye. So what does that mean for whiskey drinkers today? Is this grain the secret ingredient to great whiskey? I tasted through a generous sample provided to me with no strings attached by Stolle & Wolfe in order to find out. Company on Label:   Stoll & Wolfe Whiskey Type: Straight rye whiskey Mash Bill Percentages:  Undisclosed, other than the 65% Rosen rye proportion Proof:  106.5° Age:  4 years Further Identification:  This non-chill filtered rye, limited to just 220 bottles, was first released in November of 2024 at an MSRP of $120 Nose:  Impressive wood integration presents itself right from the get-go; this noses well over 4 years somehow. Subtle earthy clay transports me back to the 90s, while bright white dinner table linen tones are present all throughout. Deep inhales produce charcoal, fire brick, summer fields, and melted butter. Gingersnaps and lemon drop cream soda aromas develop with some time in the glass. After a sip, the whiskey gets a bit shy, but I'm still able to turn over bread dough, grapefruit, and steamed milk with some effort. The empty glass smells of toffee, burlap, and tin coffee cans full of old nuts and bolts destined to live on in perpetuity, forever projectless. Palate:  On first sip, I find delicate German riesling sweetness, thin anisette, and an array of floral tones. Pear and grenache blanc swirl in the gossamer linger. Another sip layers in plum, peach cobbler, and pizza crust cornmeal. I'm digging this profile, which handily drinks under proof. It's quite different than anything else being made today, which I think is a great thing here. The nod back to some of the old pre-prohibition Monongahela style ryes is evident, as I find this really nice seesaw of aroma that undulates back and forth between lemon and dill over salmon and the salty air of a nearby sea. A large sip and swish reveals grapefruit, creamy risotto, and a side of sourdough. The finish is tingly and long, with notable mint and green tea up in the gums. My last sip is the most potent of them all, yielding to a fast-moving river carrying lemon curd, pear liqueur, wintergreen, and oolong tea. The finish continues to build and build in intensity with subsequent sips, so do yourself a favor and pour a decent ounce and a half of this neat if that fits your drinking personality. Much like 1917-1928 Sam Thompson pure rye took me to the banks of the Kenai River in Alaska, this pour has my mind's eye dreaming of my upcoming summer trip to that fly fishing mecca. It's definitely a pour that will linger on your mind. TL;DR: Leads subtle but finishes strong with new-to-market flavors from a return-to-market rye grain Rating:  4/5 ( Really good. I want one of these on my shelf. ) Stolle & Wolfe is producing some spectacular whiskey, and why not? They've got the foundation of knowledge from one of the world's best distillers of all time, the late Dick Stoll. Erik Wolfe is continuing on with their same mission, with help from incredibly talented whiskey historians like Laura Fields looking to resurrect defunct grains. Whether these efforts will truly bring us back to a time when rye whiskey was king remains to be seen. Given my parallel experience with one exquisite example of pre-prohibition Monongahela rye whiskey, I'd say they're on the right track. WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com , and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.