A Spirits Journey Goes Back to its Roots

akendeall 0 March 24, 2021 American Whiskey, Bourbon Whiskey, Canadian Whisky, Distillery, Rye Whiskey, Single Malt Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Straight Whiskey, Uncategorized, Wheat Whiskey, Whisk[e]y

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…

woman in red shirt standing in front of wine bottles

A Look Back on Challenging Year for Distilleries

akendeall 0 December 30, 2020 Uncategorized

And for a year like 2020… Where does one begin? The spirits industry — like the American and global economies — has been affected by the pandemic, but in its own unique way. All across the country, the loss of on-premise sales through restaurants and bars has had a devastating effect on distilleries. In Pennsylvania,…

Treatise on American Brandy

akendeall 0 December 28, 2019 Uncategorized

American Brandy is having a bit of a moment. Over the past few months, a number of publications focused on this spirit made from distilling hard apple cider. Sales volumes are growing, and the category shows promise as two related categories — hard apple cider and American whiskey — continue to mature. As the American…

March Madness Cocktail Menu

akendeall 0 March 10, 2016 Uncategorized

Recently, I wrote about the idea of creating custom cocktail menus for your guests [link]. After all, spirits writers have mentioned home entertainment as a top cocktail trend for 2016. If you’re going to drink sophisticated cocktails with your friends, why deal with pretensions that can come along with craft cocktail bars? So, when I…

Highland Park 12 Y.O.

akendeall 0 January 15, 2016 Scotch, Single Malt Whisky, Uncategorized

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

Thomas Fauchez 0 December 31, 2015 Scotch, Single Malt Whisky, Uncategorized

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…

We’re moving… (physical address only)

akendeall 0 October 21, 2015 American Whiskey, Uncategorized

We’re not moving our online location. This URL is still the best place to find Bodacious Booze’s liquid insights. However I, personally, am moving to a new house. Which means our bar has been sealed tight, bubble wrapped and boxed up. I won’t be doing any tastings until the next deadline, Nov. 4. So, I thought it best…

Wine-Cork-Board

akendeall 0 August 25, 2015 Uncategorized

I made a cork board out of old wine corks. It was pretty easy and self-explanatory. First, I bought a frame. I popped out the glass and turned the matting in the back around. Then I drew lines on the inside of the matting with a pencil to represent where the front of the frame…

DIY Bathtub Gin

akendeall 0 August 12, 2015 Gin, Uncategorized

Ok – first things first. No, you use your actual bathtub. That’s gross. Bathtub Gin is a term that sprung out of prohibition. The term came about when unscrupulous moonshiners used botanicals to hide the terrible flavors found in their poorly-made hootch. In reality, the product is a type of Compound Gin (regardless of its legality)….

Inside One Eight Distillery

akendeall 0 March 25, 2015 Distillery, Uncategorized

One Eight runs its distilling operations Monday through Friday and hosts guest tours on Saturday. I tagged along for one of the weekend tours. The name One Eight refers to Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which established the nation’s capital. The stills made their first runs December 2015, so they had only been operating a…