Unlike many other bourbon brands which lately have been spinning off new releases several times a year, Maker’s mostly just makes Maker’s Mark. And Maker’s 46, and a cask-strength edition. Now, this 101 proof version has been added to the lineup as a Limited Edition, where previously it was only available at the distillery.
Okay so “book review” might be a stretch since this is just an update, but I now review The Malt Whisky Yearbook on an annual basis and because it is the one whisky-related publication that I still read regularly, I’m sticking with the title. If you don’t know whether you should own a copy of the Yearbook… well, you should. But if you want proof, read my very thorough review of the 2021 Yearbook. Of course, the Yearbook changes in content every year, but the structure remains the same and the le
Oof, it’s hard out there. I get the problem: You’re a DJ or whatever and you want to start a whisky brand. It worked for David Beckham, right? But what can you do that’s new? You get an idea: A YOUNG whisky, for YOUNG people. You’ll sell it with dance music and a story about how using young grain whisky makes the drink refreshing, not heavy like those old-fashioned malts. You pepper the marketing materials with euphemisms like “subtle”, “light”, “smooth” and suggest emphatically that drinkers se
Regular readers of the blog will be familiar with my admiration for the growing category of American Single Malt. While Westward (not to be confused with Westland) is a core component of this movement, they are not my favorite producer. Still, I’m always up to try something new, and here’s an American Single Malt finished in a cask that previously held Oregon stout (beer). For more background on Westward, see my review of their flagship American Single Malt.
I’ve been asked more times about the Kirkland (aka Costco) branded whiskies than I have about, I think, anything else. People see the relatively low price for the printed age statement and they want to know if it’s good. My answer, which always includes some waffling, is yes – generally – they are good. For the price.