A Spirits Journey Goes Back to its Roots

I love it when things come full circle. When I began my journey in distilled spirits in 2013, the first major brand I worked with was Jim Beam. So when I recently had the opportunity to dust off some of my notes and write some copy about Jim Beam – and other brands – for…

Highland Park 12 Y.O.

Highland Park 12 Y.O. Tasting Notes Nose: Light peat. Vanilla. Tongue: Honey. Heather. Marzipan. Vanilla. Caramel. Velvety. Touch of Sherry sweetness. Finish: Peaty charcoal. Caramel. Highland Park is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It is produced in the Highland region of Scotland, on the Orkney Island. Not too long ago, the Islands had their own…

Tasting Notes: Kilchoman Range

In October, Kilchoman held a 10-Year Anniversary celebration. Offering nearly the entire range of expressions, it was a lot to take in. Luckily, Thomas Fauchez takes great notes.  Kilchoman new spirit 70% ABV: Nose: Strong ash, peat and citrus fruits Palate: Deeply fruity and sweety but less peated than the nose Final: Very long, obviously…

Ardbeg Perpetuum and Booze in Space

Who better to send to an event that discusses the processes of whisky maturation in micro-gravity than Thomas Fauchez. Thomas is a french PhD physicist working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He is a non-professional Scotch whisky fan since 2010 and a member of the “Clan des grands malt,” the second biggest whisky club in France with several hundreds…

Kilchoman 10 Year Anniversary

Kilchoman Single Malt Scotch Whisky held a 10 Year Anniversary Celebration at Jack Rose Saloon in Washington, DC on Oct. 21. Launched in 2005, the Islay distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland. But that didn’t stop them from offering about 20 different expressions for attendees to sample. Walking through the door, participants received…

Vatted Whiskey — And you can too!

You know what is a fun game to play? ‘Vatting.’ Vatting is a term for blending together whiskeys. It came from Scotland. “Vatted Malt Whisky” used to be the legal category name for what was changed to “Blended Malt Whisky” with Scotland’s passage of the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009. Today, people use it to…

Suntory Whisky

Man, they love this whisky in Japan, especially served in a tall highball. And I don’t blame them – Suntory Japanese Whisky is f*cking delicious! Called “Kakubin” in Japan, which roughly translates to “tortoise bottle,” Suntory Whisky is bottled at 80 proof. The bottle I used for this tasting was purchased at a 7-11 near Tokyo…

Glen Breton Rare 10 Year Old

I licked a drop off of my thumb I had spilled while pouring my first dram. Tastes… somehow Canadian… I hesitate to say this because it’s ludicrous. But it somehow jogs a memory of a stolen CC from a buddy’s father’s stash sometime in the 1990s. (Note: Bodacious Booze only encourages the consumption of beverages…