Review: Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whisky
Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whisky was just released. If it seems like I just reviewed a peanut butter flavored whiskey you are wrong. I just reviewed two peanut butter whiskeys. While I don’t expect the number of peanut butter whiskeys to eclipse the number of cucumber flavored vodka’s, I do expect more to follow. A quick glance at the Revel Stoke web site shows 10 other varieties including Pecan, Apple, Cinnamon, Pineapple, Maple, Root Beer, Honey, Vanilla, Spiced, and their Original Blended Canadian Whisky. Each variety starts with a base made from a blend of rye, corn and barley malt. It is triple distilled in copper stills and aged for 3 years in charred white oak barrels. It is then shipped to Phillips Distilling Company in Minnesota where natural peanut butter flavors are blended before bottling at 70 proof. Read more 
Review: PB&W Peanut Butter Whiskey
PB&W Peanut Butter Whiskey was introduced October 2019. It is made at the Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins Colorado. The distillery was founded by Curt and Nancy Richardson, the innovators who created Otterbox, and Blue Ocean Enterprises. This distillery also produces Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Dry Town Gin, and Nooku Bourbon Cream. PB&W is made with blended premium whiskey and three different peanut flavors. Little product information about the whiskey used is provided but because it is a blended whiskey I’m assuming it’s not made with their Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey as the base. Read more
Review: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey was created in Ocean Beach California by a bartender and foodie who owned a bar and restaurant known for its band of misfits, black sheep, and skrewballs. He originally combined peanut butter and whiskey to create a shot. He later teamed with his wife to create Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. It is currently produced to their specifications at Le Vecke, a private label distillery in Mira Loma California. Read more
Review: Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple
Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple was just released. Flavored whiskey sales growth has slowed since the explosive growth experienced a few years ago, but the market is still growing. Two of the top seven flavored whiskeys are apple flavored. This is not Jack Daniels first apple flavored spirit, shortly after prohibition they released an apple flavored brandy. JD Tennessee Apple should also not be confused with the previously released seasonal Jack Daniels Winter Jack. Winter Jack was made with Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, apple cider liqueur and holiday spices. It was bottled at 30 Proof. JD Tennessee Apple is made from their Tennessee whiskey base made from 80% corn, 12% barley, 8% rye, and limestone spring water sourced from a two mile deep cave. After fermenting with starter yeast from a previous batch for 6 days, the mash is distilled once in a large column still. Once distilled to 140 proof the unaged whiskey is mellowed through ten feet of handcrafted charcoal for 3-5 days, then aged in new white oak barrels hand built by Jack Daniels. The 33 separate wood staves are held together by the sheer pressure of the woods precise arrangement. Once assembled the barrels interior is toasted. The Tennessee Whiskey is then blended with apple liqueur made from real green apples, and bottled at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Bird Dog Black Cherry Whiskey
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ird Dog Black Cherry Whiskey was introduced May 2019. It is one of 13 varieties of flavored whiskey in the Bird Dog product line. The others include Spiced, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Maple, Strawberry, Blackberry, Peach, Chocolate, Apple, Praline, Jalapeno Honey, Hot Cinnamon, and Kentucky Blended Whiskey. Western Spirits Beverage Company also produces Lexington and Calumet Bourbon. BD Black Cherry starts with a Kentucky bourbon base made from corn, wheat, and rye. The spirit is aged in white oak barrels. Natural cherry flavors are blended before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Ballotin Chocolate Cherry Whiskey Cream
Ballotin Chocolate Cherry Whiskey Cream is the newest member of the Ballotin Chocolate whiskey line of spirits. The others include Ballotin Original Chocolate, Bourbon Ball, Caramel Turtle, and Chocolate Mint. The Ballotin spirit line was launched in 2015 by Paul Tuell who worked at Brown-Forman for over 20 years, Jeff Stum, and Robert Aubry. Together they formed Saloon Spirits. Saloon Spirits sources the whiskey from other producers before blending it at beverage development company Flavorman. The label reads Ballotin Chocolate Cherry Whiskey Cream is made with a blend of craft chocolate, cherry cream liqueur, and fine whiskey. The light whiskey base is made from a mash of 51% or more corn, with wheat and barley making up the balance. Read more
Review: Crown Royal Peach Whisky
Crown Royal Peach Whisky was just released. Peach is a limited edition flavor, which translates to, if it sells well, it will become at worst a seasonal flavor, at best, a full time member of the Crown family. Flavors now account for 10% of all North American whisky sales, so it is no surprise Crown has created another flavor. The signature Crown Royal Whisky was first created in 1939 as a gift for the visiting King and Queen of England. Over 600 blends were produced before selecting the perfect blend that is still produced today. The Crown Royal base is made from pure water sourced from Lake Winnipeg naturally filtered through the limestone beneath and a grain blend of rye, corn, and barley. Roughly 80% of the grains used are sourced from Manitoba and surrounding provinces. Twelve distillation columns produce the fifty whiskies that comprise Crown Royal. Peaches are harvested at their flavor peak. Once picked the peaches are de-stoned, pressed and strained to preserve their bright, aromatic flavor. The peaches and natural flavors are infused with Crown Royal Whisky before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey
Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey is made from a 100% clear corn whiskey base. The corn is estate grown in Culpepper Virginia, distilled four times in traditional copper whiskey stills and charcoal filtered. Natural apple crisp liqueur is infused before packaging in a 100% stainless steel can that bares a strong resemblance to a can of lighter fluid. The Stillhouse brand was first launched in 2010 and was initially sold as a moonshine. While the recipe has not changed, the packaging, name, and marketing has. Rapper G-Eazy joined Stillhouse as an investment partner and Co-Creative Director in 2017. Read more
Review: Not Your Fathers Bourbon
Not Your Fathers Bourbon is the first in a new line of spirits made by Small Town Craft Spirits in Monroe Wisconsin. This is Pabst Brewing Companies first foray in the spirits business. Constellations Brands, AB-Inbev, and Rogue Ales and Spirits have already produced both brewed and distilled products. Not Your Fathers Bourbon is distilled at the Minhas Distillery in Monroe Wisconsin. Madagascar vanilla and natural flavors are blended before bottling at 86 proof. Tim Kovacs the founder of Small Town Brewery, the company behind Not Your Fathers Root Beer was not involved in the creation on this bourbon. Not Your Fathers Bourbon is currently available in Illinois and Wisconsin. National distribution will follow this spring. Read more
Review: Ballotin Original Chocolate Whiskey
Ballotin Original Chocolate Whiskey is one of four flavored whiskeys launched October 2015 by Saloon Spirits. Ballotin is named for the stylish specialty box Belgian chocolatiers made to protect their fine chocolates. The other flavors include Caramel Turtle, Bourbon Ball, and Chocolate Mint. Saloon Spirits Founder Paul Tuell is a former Brand Manager for Brown Forman. The light whiskey base is made from a traditional bourbon mash of 51% or more corn, with wheat and barley making up the balance. The whiskey is aged for two years in used oak barrels. This light whiskey base allows the taste of the natural flavors infused with the whiskey to shine through. Bourbon must be aged in New American white oak barrels that have been charred. The char and new oak from those bourbon barrels would have created a flavor barrier. Natural flavor and caramel color are infused before bottling at 60 proof in Louisville Kentucky. Read more