Review Posts

Roughstock Montana Bourbon

Another day, another state and this time it's Montana! Roughstock was the first legal distillery in Montana since Prohibition, and the first to be making whiskey in the state for over 100 years. Since this review first appeared, the distillery has sadly closed. Roughstock Montana Bourbon is a blend of four different whiskies with varying ...

Smooth Ambler Contradiction

Smooth Ambler is a young distillery, only starting in 2009. Founded in West Virginia and inspired by the growing craft distillery scene, they've followed the now-common model of producing gin and vodka to support themselves until their bourbon stocks are old enough to sell. They also have a range of older bourbons called 'Old Scout', ...

Booker's 7 Year Old True Barrel Bourbon

Booker's Bourbon is a small batch bourbon brand - indeed, their website claims to have invented the term "small batch" back in 1992. That claim seems implausible - although I suppose every marketing term has to get used for the first time at some stage - and of course even before then, distilleries were ...

Evan Williams Extra Aged

I've encountered Evan Williams before. Their Single Barrel 2003 showed up in last year's Whisky Advent Calendar, and I think was probably even responsible for me starting to daydream of a dedicated Bourbon Calendar! Indeed, I think I've encountered today's dram before although back then it was simply labelled as Evan Williams Extra. That was several ...

Michter's US*1 Bourbon

Michter's is another Kentucky-based distillery, but with a curious marketing tale. Their website talks about how they're "proud to honor a historical legacy tracing back to the founding of America’s first whiskey company in 1753", but that isn't the whole story. That "first whiskey company" was started in Pennsylvania by John and Michael Shenk, passing ...

Bulleit Bourbon

Today we move to what I instinctively think of as the home of bourbon - Kentucky. Although Bulleit is a relatively young distillery - it was only founded in 1987 - its whiskey is inspired by the work of the founder's great great grandfather Augustus Bulleit, who was making bourbon throughout the middle part ...

FEW Bourbon

We start this glorious December Of Bourbon with a dram from FEW Spirits. Evanston, Illinois seems an unlikely place to find a distillery considering that it was a 'dry community' as recently as 1972. In these enlightened days there isn't a US State that doesn't have at least one distillery, however. FEW Bourbon is one of ...

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

The Glenrothes is a curious Speyside distillery; before a recent move away from 'age statement' whiskies, they were already cutting their own path with 'Vintage Single Malt'. The theory is simple; rather than bottling a whisky made in 2003 and calling it "12 years old", they instead name it "2003 vintage". Partly, this is a ...

CaféDirect Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest volcano in Africa although, thankfully, it hasn't had a major eruption for more than a third of a million years. This is good news for coffee lovers, because it's location and elevation make it perfect coffee growing territory. Kilimanjaro is a medium strength coffee from Caf&eacuteDirect. The grounds have a remarkably ...

Cafédirect Medium Roast

Returning to supermarket coffee this morning, and back to Caf&eacuteDirect. I've enjoyed their Colombian coffee before, so it's been on my list to explore more of their range! This is from their 'originless' range, simply named Medium Roast - a blend of Central and South American beans. The grounds have a nice enough aroma, full ...