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: 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: 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
Review: Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon
Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon is one of two flavored whiskeys distilled from corn mash, then filtered at the old Seagrams Distillery in Lawrenceburg Indiana. The other flavor is Island Coconut. The unaged whiskey base is blended with natural flavor including capsicum spice and cinnamon, and bottled in Houston Texas in a red custom sea glass bottle. Thanks in no small part to the success of Fireball Whisky, cinnamon is by far the most popular flavored whiskey. Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon is made with 1/3 less sugar than the market leader. Read more
Review: Beach Whiskey Island Coconut
Beach Whiskey Island Coconut was launched in select markets in 2016 along with Beach Whiskey Original and Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon. They are in the process of building out national distribution. A quick look at the Beach Whiskey webpage only lists their Island Coconut and Bonfire Cinnamon varieties. Beach Whiskey was co-founded by a large group of people including Country Music singer Jake Owen, Gavin DeGraw, Billy Bush, J Smoke Wallin, and Ken Austin, the Chairman and Co-Founder of Avion Tequila. Beach Whiskey Island Coconut starts with a corn whiskey base that is not barrel aged, but it does undergo a unique filtration process. Natural flavors are blended before bottling at 52 proof. Some coconut flavored rums are blended with an oversweet coconut liqueur. In fact Island Coconut is made with 44% less sugar than the leading coconut brand, presumably Malibu. Read more
Review: Jim Beam Vanilla
Jim Beam Vanilla was just released. It joins a flavored whiskey lineup that includes an Apple, Honey, Black Cherry, Maple and their Cinnamon Flavored Kentucky Fire Whiskey. The bourbon base of Jim Beam Vanilla is made with a secret mix of corn, rye, and barley malt. Limestone filtered water and some “set back” up to 40% of the old mash from the previous distillation, is added to the 10,000 gallon cooker. Since Prohibition ended over 75 years ago the same strain of jug yeast is added. This yeast is used in the fermentation process once the mash is cooked and cooled. It is distilled in a 65 foot tall column still, and then distilled a second time in a doubler, similar to a pot still. The bourbon is aged in brand new charred oak barrels. While no age statement is provided for Jim Beam Vanilla, Jim Beam Original is aged for 4 years. Madagascar Vanilla Liqueur is blended with the bourbon base before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky
Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky was introduced February 2012. Tap 357 is named for the blend of 3, 5, and 7 year old rye whiskies and the natural Canadian maple tapped at the first hint of spring in Quebec, used in crafting it. Each of the blended rye whiskies are produced in small batches in the oldest distillery in Western Canada. The whisky is distilled four times before maturing in a combination of new, second and third use bourbon barrels. Master Distiller Michel Marcil blends the whisky and then blends pure local grade 1 light Canadian maple syrup sourced from Quebec. In a proprietary finishing process the maple flavored rye whisky is left to rest until the blend is ready for release. As someone who has visited New England dozens of times and has several friends and business associates who don’t leave New England without a bottle of 100% maple syrup, I’m very familiar with how serious people in New England and Quebec take their maple syrup. Harvesting maple, commonly called maple sugaring depends on weather conditions each year, but in Quebec it generally occurs between February and April. Mild days with temperatures falling below freezing at night are ideal. Read more
Review: Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey
Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey was released April 2016 along with a Ginger flavored whiskey. Both start with Rebel Yell Original Straight Bourbon as a base. This bourbon was first made in 1849 at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery with corn wheat and malt. Natural root beer flavor and caramel color are added before bottling at 70 proof. Read more