While I focus primarily on American Whiskeys of various style, I also realize it’s a big wide world out there. Canadian whisky producers continue to put out some excellent, and under appreciated whisky. Just this past weekend I reviewed Masterson’s Rye, which is a sourced product from Canada. That’s really just the tip of the iceberg.
Perhaps more so than anyone, Davin de Kergommeaux has helped to prop up the Canadian Whisky industry with his fantastic website, CanadianWhisky.org. In the last week or two, Davin produced his annual Canadian Whisky awards where he outlines the best and brightest from the previous year. Davin’s one of the best whiskey writers out there – take a peek at his annual whisky award link if you are interested in trying something new and different.
I find RSS is the best way for me to keep up with all of the whiskey blogs and resources on the internet. Google reader is my tool of choice for doing that. And while I recommend all of the sites I link to (otherwise I wouldn’t do it!), I want to take a moment and call out a few specific sites that I’ve really grown to love and enjoy. Each of these sites is unique and filled with outstanding insight on the world of whiskey.
Click the “red” highlighted links below to view these sites.
Ralfy’s Video Reviews (WhiskyReview.com): If there is anyone that is inimitable in the video review space, Ralfy Mitchell is that person. Ralfy is relaxed, personable, extremely well versed and intelligent when it comes to whiskey from around the globe. He also calls it like he sees it, and understands that value is important. Ralfy is truly an ambassador to the world of whiskey and I’m glad I discovered him over 18 months ago. His style is totally unique, you will learn a lot, and most probably will be hooked like I am. He posts frequently so there is always some great content coming from his site. The highest compliment I can pay him is he’s one of the guys that spurned my idea, “I should do video reviews on American Whiskey.” Highly recommended.
KL Wines Spirit Journal: This may very well be my favorite whiskey site on the internet right now. Ran by David Driscoll and David Girard, these guys make almost every other wine and spirits merchant look downright slack as hell. The two Davids are key buyers for KL Wines 3 stores in the San Francisco Bay Area of CA and Los Angeles. They post frequently about the industry, give fresh forward thinking opinions, keep you up to date on the latest and greatest products, and education. More merchants should be investing in the later. What better way to keep informed customers coming to your shop that want to learn and experience more whiskey. And just to be clear, they promote their shop, but the primary function of the blog from my viewpoint is thought leadership and just great content about the world of whiskey. Highly recommended.
American Craft Spirits: Matt Colglazier leads the way in information on the “little guy”, the upstart, and the boutique distilleries across the US. Matt’s passionate about promoting these small distilleries and provides a window into that world unlike anyone else. Few, if any, are doing what Matt does, and to the level he’s doing it. He covers a ton of ground including everything from Vodka to Gin to Rum, but he doesn’t neglect whiskey, giving it equal stage. Matt’s distillery profiles and interviews are informative and his written reviews are well done.
Dramming: Oliver Klimek’s site, Dramming.com, is a great resource for whiskey lovers. Pure, clean and straightforward information and reviews. Reviews come up probably 4-5 times per week and in some cases more. He covers mostly Single Malt Scotch but dips into whiskey around the world also. I admire his simple approach to reviews and look forward to what he posts each and every week.
CanadianWhisky.org (Davin’s Site):Davin de Kergommeaux started this site a year or so ago I believe. Recently he just put out his first annual awards for Canadian Whisky across a number of categories. It was excellent stuff and reminded me that I need to be thinking of the same thing as well. Suffice it to say our brothers to the north make some great whiskey. Davin’s site is committed to promoting the great “brown stuff” that Canada has to offer. I’ve learned a great deal reading Davin’s site. His reviews are super thorough and I like his simple star rating system.
Well, there are many more that I love and I will get around to showcasing them soon. But I wanted to take a moment and call out a few great ones that I enjoy weekly and even daily. One big common denominator (that I have seen) about folks within or writing/talking/blogging about the world of whiskey – most are great people. Check ‘em out when you have some time!
As one of the few 100% rye whiskeys on the market today, WhistlePig has an interesting story. First off, any rye whiskey must be at least 51% rye grain (in the grain recipe) to technically be called “Rye Whiskey” in the U.S. Typically most rye’s don’t exceed much more than 60-65%, with corn and/or barley making up the remainder. But then again, this ten year old WhistlePig doesn’t have just any man (or men) behind it.
During a year plus long search, David Pickerell, previous Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark for 14 years through 2008, came across this wonderful expression of rye in Canada. That’s correct, WhistlePig was not distilled by Pickerell and WhistlePig distillery (yet), but rather “sourced” or “found” and bottled. Pickerell partnered up with Raj Bhakta, an entrepreneur and former “Apprentice” reality show contestant, to form WhistlePig and get this great rye whiskey to the public. Today it is bottled at Bhakta’s 500 acre WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. It has been said by a number of sources that their goal is to create a fully sustainable “farm to bottle” distillery, growing the rye grain that will eventually become WhistlePig Rye Whiskey. But until they have their own distilled product we’ve been given a little gift to satisfy our thirst.
WhistlePig is pure rye without the training wheels. The nose brings a big burst of spearmint, wintergreen, menthol, licorice/anise, and woody spices. All this freshness is anchored with a nice core of sweetness that exudes spun sugar, cotton candy, and some light maple syrup. The nose as a whole is extremely complex but also airy, fresh, and lively for a 10 year old whiskey. I found myself nosing this rye forever to uncover all of the nuances it has to offer. The first sip explodes in the mouth, again with sweet southern red stem spearmint and wintergreen, rye grain prickliness, licorice, a big dose of honey, and dry oaky flavors. Texturally, WhistlePig takes over the mouth with it’s intense spices and lingers on long after it’s “down the hatch”. You’re left with those wonderful spearmint, honey, oak, and licorice flavors.
WhistlePig Rye Whiskey is an outstanding pour, and one of the most unique I’ve ever tasted. It’s currently only available in large markets like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, so order quickly online before all 1000 cases are gone. I highly recommend it.
****Note: Most of the information above came from some general forums and various websites. But I want to point out a couple of websites in particular that have some great background on WhistlePig. Davin De Kergommeaux of http://canadianwhiskey.org has a fantastic article on WhistlePig. He also has a great site loaded with Canadian Whiskey info. Second, Chuck Cowdery is a Bourbon Hall of Famer and a true historian. His site, http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/ is a fantastic source of information on Bourbon and American Whiskey. Give both of these great sites a visit!****
