Made with unmalted and malted barley, triple distilled, and matured in virgin white oak before a finish in Pedro Ximénez and amontillado sherry casks. There is a musty funkiness on the nose, but underneath lurk aromas of banana Runts, herbal cough syrup, and fruit cocktail. The light and nimble palate buzzes with fizzy lemon, sweet nuts, cinnamon, and allspice. Frozen chocolate-covered banana on the finish. It shares DNA with some American single malts.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

This whiskey blends 60% straight bourbon with 40% straight rye. The nose is zesty with citrus notes of lemon, lime, and a touch of grapefruit, with additional fruit qualities like strawberries and cream, watermelon candy, and cherry juice. The palate mingles citrus and spice with orange marmalade, cinnamon, white pepper, and fresh ginger. The finish is nutty and warm with persistent peppery spice and toasted oak. Its nuance shines brighter without water.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

The nose presents pencil shavings, finely tuned aromatic spices, vanilla toffee, peppercorn, clove, and milk chocolate caramels. The palate opens with quick flashes of lime, followed by vanilla, toffee, citrus-tinged sweetness, and clamorous peppery spices, then becomes more malty, and slackens into flavors of butterscotch, ice cream cone, and ground nuts. Lingering malty sweetness on the finish with hints of blackened oak, though the spices have the final word. A satisfying pour.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2021)

Lean and crisp grain notes on the nose, with Bramley apple peels, warm gentle spices, a little vanilla fudge, dry grasses, and custard cream biscuits. The flavors are sweet with creamy buttercream, vanilla, honey, banana, and a streak of mild spices, though it’s not until the finish that the spices really steal the show, making for a more impactful tasting experience. Solid, decent, and worth a try.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2021)

Turbocharged sour cherry aromas are propelled from the glass by high-strength alcohol, leaving a backwash of toffee, coffee grounds, dunnage, and pepper. After its 6-month finish in a kosher Rimon Winery barrel, it’s become a skittish prospect of fiery pomegranate and rose-hip jelly, its mighty strength runs amok with the spices among the sourness of dark fruits. Use water to emphasize the pleasurable maraschino cherry notes.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2021)

Distilled in Indiana and aged for 3 years on a “floating rickhouse” on the Mississippi River, this rye has a nose of blueberry muffin, cinnamon babka, crushed nuts, and banana peel. The palate demonstrates nice spice, with additional notes of lemon curd, dill, and orange slice. The finish is moderate in length with sustained cinnamon spice and a bit of bubble-gum sweetness. The barrel impact here is prominent. (2,400 bottles; Tennessee only)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

An unconventional mix of aromas: pistachios in the shell, jasmine tea, banana peel, butterscotch, and furniture polish. Robust oak tussles with grain-forward distillate on the palate, supported by spice, roasted nuts, cacao nibs, and peppermint stick; water brings out burnt marshmallow and cinnamon stick. It finishes on a peppery and peppermint note, dotted with cacao, peppery spice, and charred oak.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)

The nose is nutty, sweet with marmalade on toast and caramel apple, and spiced like gingerbread sprinkled with dried cherries and Craisins. The palate is hotter than expected at this proof, tannic with oak, and spiced with cinnamon candy, dried ginger, and red pepper; spearmint emerges with water. More cinnamon, chocolate, coffee bean, and sweet oak on the finish. This updated blend of the Fusion series has a rougher character than previous iterations.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)

A shy nose that tends toward doughy aromas: saffron buns with lightly sprinkled spices, coconut-flaked vanilla macaroons, Nilla wafers, and rice pudding, plus chalky candy cigarettes and talcum powder. Graham cracker, Luden’s cherry cough drop, candied orange peel, and vanilla on the palate; the flavors are nice, if simple. Chocolate-cherry cordial, cinnamon, and toasted almonds to finish. An uncomplicated pour.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)

Comprised of 60% corn, 20% wheat, 11% malted barley, and 9% rye, this whiskey has hay, fresh apricot, wood shavings, and vanilla sugar on the nose. With water, lemon and fresh berries atop pancakes emerge. The silky palate trends toward sweet, though with plenty of oak, gentle spice, roasted almonds, and Hershey’s chocolate. The spice turns zestier, with a spray of citrus oil when water is added. The finish overlays generous tobacco on oak.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

The first Chinese single malt to be exported to the U.S. Toffee apples, butterscotch haystacks, peonies, and orange wedges on the light and sweet nose. More sweetness on the palate, flowers and fruit undergirded by grain: candied rose petals, citrus peel, vanilla Pudding Pop, green banana, and pencil shavings. The texture is velvety but the flavors don’t leave much of an impression, with a finish of vanilla and sweet oak that’s barely there. (2,884 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)

An unusual mashbill of 51% corn, 44% malted barley, and 5% rye gives this whiskey notes of spearmint, chile flakes, Nesquik powder, and cherry pie. There’s more chocolate on the palate in the form of mocha and cocoa powder along with pistachio and herbal oak. A bitter finish paired with the silky mouthfeel leaves things slightly off-balance, but the earthy chocolate notes show signs of promise for this oddity. (5,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

The debut rye from Kentucky’s Castle & Key is a batched product that will vary in proof. Batch 1 has cooked cherries, birch beer, almond shell, and wood shavings on the nose. Banana Popsicle, almond extract, and light caramel sauce atop vanilla ice cream on the palate. With water added, orange gummies and roast coffee. The finish is sweet, short, and woody, with pepper and Popsicle stick. (13,200 bottles)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

Actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley introduce this 4 year old Indiana bourbon made with 64% corn, 22% rye, and an undisclosed percentage of wheat and malted barley. The nose is corn-forward and sweet: notes of candy corn, butterscotch candies, and orange Popsicle. The palate is light-bodied making it highly sippable; vanilla pudding, a touch of honey, and boiled peanuts. That light and sweet quality carries over to the finish. No water necessary.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

A light and reticent nose, with scant aromas of grain, vanilla, marmalade, rose water, and honeysuckle. The palate is grain-driven and sharp with ethanol, along with Popsicle stick, vanilla, and almond shells. A woody and rather sharp finish underscores the immaturity of this whiskey, which needs time to soften its youth and rough edges.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)

Made from unmalted barley, malted barley, and oats and aged in used bourbon and rye barrels. The nose is promising and evocative of a florist’s shop, with notes of flower stems, lime peel, peach jam, and orange blossom. The palate, which can be rough and thin at times, is less encouraging, with faint floral notes, grainy, sawdust mustiness, overripe fruit, and hints of mushy citrus. The finish is short with dull oak. An Irish homage that needs further development.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2021)

Sweet candied aromas pervade the nose: caramel corn, watermelon Jolly Rancher, orange Popsicle, and strawberry Blow-Pop. There’s also shaved wood and construction paper. The silky palate holds dilute flavors of bubble gum, candy, vanilla, and toasted wood, and rapidly turns bitter on the finish

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2021)