Vanilla laced with spice, fondant icing, grapefruit peel, and lime zest leave the vanilla and floral notes lower down the pecking order. In the mouth, grapefruit and orange dominate the vanilla, yet the mouthfeel is thinner and the acidity tips toward the taste of bitter orange seeds. A lingering bitter orange finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

A very grain-forward nose, reminiscent of caraway or a fresh pumpernickel loaf. A soft, dusty rye, with hints of peppermint, spearmint, and cinnamon candy and bitter brown sugar. Quite dry, with some bitter oak, dry hay, and fresh-sawn lumber. Dried herbs, grilled pineapple, and lingering pepper on the finish. Made from rye malted by hand and distilled in direct-fired stills, this whiskey is more focused on grain than oak. Empire rye

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Spring 2018)

Aged for just 3 years, the nose is a fresh fruit salad of green apple, honeydew, lychee, and kumquat. The green fruits and tangy citrus on the palate fall under attack from peppery arugula leaves and active spices. A structure as light as cotton candy; the flavor of orange taffy is all that remains when the dust settles. The finish is dry and peppery, with a slight herbal note. (1,440 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

An aggressive punch of peat—creosote, tar, rubber, and seaweed—mingles with wood spice, butterscotch, vanilla pudding, and red apple on the nose. The palate shows charred meat, charred wood, earthy smoke, crème brûlée, and red apple flavors. The short, ashy finish satisfies with dark chocolate and black pepper. At such a high proof, it takes water well and develops in the glass. This whisky has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: 18 months; Processing: Multiple peated malt distillates are aged in Scotland, then blended, exported, and put through Lost Spirits’ reactor with pieces of toasted oak treated with Riesling wine.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

Super floral with bright lemon and yuzu, this beams with originality, as violet candies, rose petal, and pine forest join the fray. The mouthfeel has a satisfying oily texture and a slightly tart, bright citrus lift before the creamy sweetness settles in, nicely balanced with drying oak tannins.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2018)

Driven by earthy oak and dark cocoa on the nose, this whiskey is alluring in its rustic richness, with saddle leather and a pocketful of dried fruit pulled from an old backpack. On the palate, the cherry and red berry fruit meet some pleasant peppery and clove spice, with the impression of lemon oil. Pleasingly drinkable, with caramel and more oak on the modest finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2018)

A true fruit bouquet on the nose, with apple, lemon, peach, and apricots, balanced by gentle wood. Very buttery and creamy on the palate, with a panoply of earthy white chocolate, pretty baking spice, and minced apple. A little too much fresh lumber and banana flavor, but well-balanced and intriguing. The applejack cask finish is a nice touch, but the rye could still use more time in the barrel. Empire rye

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Spring 2018)

Honey, fudge, a little melon and white grape, dry roasted spices, and peppercorn, but noticeably less fruit than the age-statement varieties. The palate has pulpy white melon, lemon, lime, and some grapefruit acidity, before sweetening with honey. Quite tart at times, some peppery spice collaborates before the vanilla cream and green fruits take charge. A clean, juicy finish of lemon zest and mild spices coats the throat.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Named for the greatest London-Irish band of the 1980s, this produces stewed apple, raisin, vanilla cream, peppercorn, grated nutmeg, and a dirty ol’ mound of dunnage earth. A fiesta of apple, pineapple, grapefruit, bitter lemon, subdued honey, and caramel transition into stewed apples, rhubarb, lemon bonbons, and sweet vanilla. Lingering bitterness, like the band’s split. It’s a Big Apple Fairytale, but for the money, better streams of whiskey are available.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

It begins with flowers, cardamom, fresh-cut walnut wood, and mint. Notes of fruit, pomace, applesauce, pineapple, and vanilla-iced strawberries take over, but smoke, pear, and apple dominate thereafter. A shorter than expected finish presents hints of chocolate, candied corn, and more smoke. Very nice for punches.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

What begins as a banana, oat, and Malt-O-Meal delight turns into honey and potato chips. This is followed by cookie dough, dark cherries, sweet-potato chips, beets, dehydrated pineapple, pine nuts, and oak. Its medium finish offers a mouthful of banana. If you love banana, you’ll love this whiskey.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

This blend has been a Whyte and MacKay whisky for 25 years. The nose has spice, toffee, wheat biscuits, and smoke, but the combination feels a little benign. The palate is jammy, lightweight, and middle-of-the-road. With a backbone of grain, there are flavors of graham cracker, chocolate ganache, well-baked fruitcake, banoffee pie, smoke, and dried peels, with a burst of spices on the finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Generously woody with pencil shavings and lumber mingled with chamomile, white flowers, and vanilla on the nose. The light-bodied palate is sweet and floral, with cloying milk chocolate, toasted coconut, and vanilla flavors. It’s just a bit simple and boring. This or whiskey has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: minimum 6 months; Processing: Distilled in Indiana and aged in new charred oak barrels, then put through a “compression aged” process using new charred oak pieces.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

The nose is grainy with strong wood notes and hints of vanilla, lilac, and cinnamon candies. Flavors of caramel, vanilla, spice, and citrus tussle with cedar, tea leaves, and oak tannins before a lengthy, assertive finish of tobacco, caramel, cinnamon, clove, and orange peel. This or whiskey has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: varies, usually 3 to 6 months; Processing: Distillate from Indiana and Ohio is aged in new charred oak barrels before undergoing Cleveland’s proprietary process using new charred oak pieces.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

The caramel on the nose is a bit strange and chemical, but the palate offers promise with its pleasing spice, sweetness, orange peel, chocolate, and silky mouthfeel. There are lovely flavors, but the oak feels layered on rather than integrated. This whisky has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: minimum 12 months; Processing: Distilled in Indiana and aged in new charred oak barrels, then put through a finishing process using sherry-seasoned Spanish oak pieces.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

Wood spice dominates the nose, with citrus, floral, and tobacco barn aromas. The palate has pleasant orange peel, spice, red apple, and vanilla notes with a robust heat; however, toasted oak continues to reign. One for the wood lover. This whisky has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: minimum 12 months; Processing: Distilled in Kentucky and aged in new charred oak barrels before undergoing the TerrePURE process.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

Grassy aromas mingle with white pepper, honeysuckle, jasmine, and newsprint on the nose. The palate rushes through sweet vanilla-cake and ripe fruit flavors, with strong oak and alcohol influence, to a finish that is mostly wood with some pleasant chocolate and herbal notes. Disjointed at times, but water helps bring it together. This whiskey has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: varies, but usually around 3 months; Processing: Distillate from Indiana and Ohio is aged in new charred oak barrels before undergoing Cleveland’s proprietary process using hickory wood pieces.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)

Juicy Fruit gum, Kool-Aid, sugared orange gumdrops, and candied papaya and mango meet fresh-cut lumber on the nose. The palate has notes of bruised banana and juicy guava, with assertive wood and cocoa powder to balance the sweetness. This whiskey has been matured using alternative aging technology. Actual Time in Barrel: varies, but usually around 3 months; Processing: Distillate from Indiana and Ohio is aged in new charred oak barrels before undergoing Cleveland’s proprietary process using apple wood pieces.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2018)