Jarrod Lapato

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Watershed Distillery Barrel Strength Bourbon Finished In Apple Brandy Barrels Review

This special, limited release bourbon celebrates the 10 Year Anniversary for Watershed Distillery. It is actually the same distillate as their previous 4 year old Watershed Bourbon, but with two additional years of age on it.

Bottled Cocktails

Old Fashioned from Watershed Distillery Review

Ask 20 different people to make you an Old Fashioned and you’ll likely get 20 different variations of this classic cocktail. While it has very few ingredients, the options within those basic ingredients can vary widely.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Watershed Bourbon Review

From the initial pop of the ‘cork’, an enticing spicy sweetness rushed from the bottle like a newly awoken genie. I have the word cork in quotes because it’s not an actual cork.

Scotch Whisky News

Speyburn 10 Year Old Sourced Water Gift Pack

You know what I love most about the Christmas holiday season? Eggnog? …Not really. Fruit cake? …Pass. Cookie-making day at mom’s house? Well… I must say, I do enjoy that quite a bit.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Son of a Peat Batch 02 Whisky Review

I would say that it is. Remember back when blended whiskies were in vogue and more sought after than single malts? Well, neither do I, but I understand that used to be the case.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Coppercraft Straight Rye Whiskey Review

This was my favorite of the three Coppercraft whiskies we reviewed. The nose was quite inviting and there should be no doubt you have a rye whiskey in your glass.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Coppercraft Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies Review

This Blended Straight Bourbon is ‘duller’ on the nose, but at the same time, much deeper. Despite the slightly higher ABV, the alcohol vapors were not as prevalent and I was able to more easily pick up the bold notes of chewy molasses and robust baking spices.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Coppercraft Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

To get a direct, head to head comparison, I sampled the two bourbons side by side. It may be a product of my own expectations, but this Straight Bourbon left me a bit underwhelmed.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Highland Park Magnus Review

It’s not the most robust Highland Park I’ve ever tried, but certainly presents a reasonable entry point to begin exploring the line. While they state that a ‘high proportion’ of first-fill Sherry seasoned American oak casks are used in the maturation, for my preferences, they didn’t use enough.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Stillhouse Black Bourbon Review

I wish I could have been able to taste this blind, because I just can’t seem to get over the fact that it comes in a turpentine can. It definitely stands out on the liquor store shelf, and I get that Stillhouse is trying to “reinvent the idea of what bourbon should be”, but this misses the mark.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Aberlour A’Bunadh Review

Maybe you’ve already figured this out, but I’m a huge fan. While I admittedly still have mixed feelings about NAS whiskies, (a topic for another post altogether) this is a fantastic pour.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Wine Cask Blend Review

Before even opening the bottle, based on visuals alone, I was anticipating a much sweeter profile. Maybe it was the pink coloring of the label, or the prominent “Wine Cask Blend” (also written in red lettering) that threw me off.

Banter

You Need to Meet…The Smooth Draws Radio Show

It was a particularly enjoyable time for me a few weeks back when two of my worlds collided during a Saturday afternoon live broadcast of the Smooth Draws Radio show.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Laphroaig Cairdeas Quarter Cask Review

It just seems that whisky and friendship inherently go hand in hand. Sure, we’ve all come home from a long, hard day’s work and poured ourselves a measure of our favorite mood enhancing elixir to help unwind.

Scotch Whisky News

National Scotch Day 2017

What do you know… it’s National Scotch Day again!! Yaaay! Mention the word “scotch” to a random group of people, and the reactions you get will vary as widely as the characteristics of the whisky itself.

Scotch Whisky News

Speyburn Arranta Casks Whisky Review

The longer it sits in your glass, the better it gets. While still not a particularly complex whisky, it’s pleasant and flavorful with a nice kick and plenty of nuances to explore.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Speyburn Bradan Orach Whisky Review

I believe Speyburn is one of the more overlooked single malt scotch whiskies out there. Yes, it falls into that “entry-level” category, largely because of its younger age and lower pricing, and that’s the catch-22 when it comes to ‘value’ in the whisky world.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Speyburn 10 Years Old Whisky Review

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about Speyburn due to the price point, but over the years I have learned not to judge a whisky based on price alone. Not having tasted a Speyburn prior to this review, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

American Whiskey Reviews

PENNA Dutch Malt Whiskey Review

The Pennsylvania Dutch came to America from Germany in the 17th century. This Dutch Malt Whiskey, made with traditional “Munich” style of malt, is a fitting tribute to those early pioneers whose rich traditions and enduring legacy still lives on today.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Once, Twice, THREE times the whisky…Ardbeg Whisky Review

Just in time for the cooler weather, this month’s post features a trio of award winning scotch whiskies from the Ardbeg distillery. Over the years, Ardbeg has put out many special limited release bottlings, but the ones we will be looking at today make up their core range.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Review

Aside from constantly second guessing myself on the proper spelling, what’s not to love about a whisky crafted in the spirit of friendship? (“Cairdeas” literally means friendship in Gaelic).

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Angel’s Envy #Bourbonjourney Review #3: Ice Ice Baby

Welcome back, everyone. With two stops checked off the itinerary so far, we’ve all had the opportunity to get a good feel for this whiskey and at least form an initial opinion of Angels Envy.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Angel’s Envy – #Bourbonjourney Review #2

Welcome back to the next stop on our ongoing #bourbonjourney, where today we’ll be taking a second look at the port wine finished bourbon, Angels Envy. During the last week of each month, I pour a dram from the same bottle of Angels Envy and present my thoughts here.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Celebrating National Scotch Day with Syndicate 58/6

For those of you active on social media, I’m sure you’ve come to notice that just about every other day is someone’s “Special Day.” Whatever your interest may be, there has likely been a day set aside to not only acknowledge your interest but to celebrate and share your joy with others.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

The Angel’s Envy #BourbonJourney Is Under Way!!

Welcome back! I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally pop open my bottle of Angels Envy and get this journey started. I know several of you have already acquired bottles of your own and will be sharing your observations in the comment section at the end of this article.