From its earliest days, craft whiskey made by small distillers has shown a lot of promise. But critics often scoff that craft whiskies are under-aged spirits that haven’t been given enough time to gain nuance and complexity. The naysayers still like to say that, but over the last couple of years the charge has become … [ Read more]
Bottled-in-Bond: How a 120-year-old liquor act is helping craft whiskey make a statement
November 8, 2017 by
Spirits Close-Up: Minnesota Rye Whiskey
August 30, 2017 by
There is no shortage of fine whiskey on the planet. What can small distillers offer that the big guys haven’t already perfected? If craft whiskey is a viable enterprise, it has to focus on its one competitive advantage—a luxury brought about by hard work and a local mindset. They need to be choosy with their … [ Read more]
Fooling Father Time: ‘Rapid-aging’ and the future of craft whiskey
June 20, 2017 by
The standard formula for whiskey, the way it’s always been done, is this: you fill up an oak barrel with a clear spirit and then you wait. And wait. And wait. Inside that barrel, things slowly unfold. Alcohol seeps into the toasted oak, degrading the polymers that make up its structure. The lignin and hemicellulose in … [ Read more]
