The Whisky Study
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Welcome to the Whisky Study - a place where anyone who loves whisky should feel right at home.
Here you’ll find everything from In-Depth Reviews designed to help you find the next great bottle to purchase, to Shelf Reviews for when you need a quick blast of info while you’re standing at a liquor store shelf, to Last Drop Reviews where I discuss how I feel after living with a bottle from beginning to end.
Latest Scotch Reviews
Johnnie Walker Gold has changed numerous times over the years, with the latest iteration called Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. Coming in at around $45, and at 40% ABV – what makes this a compelling choice over any of the rainbow of colors in the lineup?
Known for using almost exclusively sherry casks, Glenfarclas has consistently created excellent expressions that provide remarkable value in today’s scotch market. But what happens when you start oat the beginning of the range with their 10 year expression?
An example of Balvenie’s prowess with cask finishing, this Caribbean cask is aged for at least 14 years in ex-bourbon casks, andthen finished for “an extended period of time” in casks that formerly held Caribbean rum.
Latest Bourbon Reviews
Wolves Whiskey’s 5 Year American Single Malt attempts to accelerate flavor development by aging in Arizona – where summers are hot and winters are cold. But at $90, and 48% ABV, is this the bottle that could get you into American Single Malt?
Penelope’s new Classic Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a non-age stated bourbon that marks the brand’s first mainstream product coming out of Kentucky.
Up until now, it’s been rare to see an independent bottling of Wild Turkey at an elevated proof, with a good age statement, for less than $50. But K&L has somehow managed to do just that. But is this just a distillery dumping barrels they don’t like? Or is this the kind of value we can get behind? Let’s dive in and find out.
This month, Penelope has launched a new limited expression named Architects of Golf. Born as an ode to the origin story of Penelope, this expression will release different “holes” – all with unique characteristics marked by the scorecard on the back of the bottle. Aged for 6 years and finished with American oak staves, they call this “a pour worthy of the round”.
Latest Rye Reviews
Today’s distillery exclusive from Jack Daniel’s explores a unique cask selection by finishing their cask strength Tennessee rye whiskey in barrels that previously held table syrup.
Penelope's new Straight Rye whiskey is a part of their newly created Classic Series - and hopes to provide an affordable option in the increasingly crowded rye category.
Distilled at Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Full Proof is the latest entry in theirrecently expanded rye portfolio. Aged at least 4 years (but rumored older) and clocking in at 125 proof – this is a big time winner for only $40.
Released annually in late fall, it’s hard to believe High West is already up to Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 13 (representing 13 years’ worth of releases) but it’s good to know that the recipe stays the same after all these years.
Latest Irish Whiskey Reviews
Known as the Redbreast Cuatro Barriles, this 46% ABV whiskey combines Oloroso Sherry, Tawny Port, virgin European oak, and bourbon barrels to create a whiskey that’s “a joy to savor” according to the packaging.
Irishman Legacy is bottled with no age statement, but with natural color 46% ABV, and non-chill filtration, this expression caught my eye on a recent trip to Ireland. It was released in late 2023 but can still found in Dublin Airport and a few shops around Kilkenny, Ireland.
Powers John’s Lane Cask Strength keeps its 12 year age statement and its bourbon cask and Oloroso sherry maturation but takes the ABV from 46% in standard guise all the way up to 57.8%. Featuring non-chill filtration and an MSRP of around $85, this feels like a winner on paper.
This new Travel Retail expression from Bushmills is aged 18 years, bottled at 46%, and aged in a combination of bourbon, sherry, and Colheita port casks
Latest Japanese Whisky Reviews
Hioki Pot Still is a non-age stated whisky that rings in at 51% ABV, uses malted and unmalted barley, and is from one of Japanese newest and most exciting distilleries.
Positioned as a lower priced, non-age stated expression, the Distiller’s Reserve is a combination of American, Spanish, Mizunara oak and French Bordeaux casks. It’s bottled at 43% ABV and promises the Yamazaki experience at a lower price point than other current releases.
While Chichibu has won praise for the single malts they have released, it’s these blended Malt & Grain expressions that you are most likely to encounter out in the world. Except maybe this one. This one is special.
This 300ml distillery exclusive shows off a new side to Hakushu - one that is hard to find in today’s official distillery bottlings.
Latest World Whisky Reviews
Distilled from 100% malted wheat, this 18 year old is first aged in Caucasus Mountain oak barrels before being finished in Armenian brandy barrels. The result is an 18 year old whiskey that comes in at 43% and retails for an incredibly reasonable $65.
This USA exclusive single cask from Bimber was aged in virgin American oak and features no chill filtration, natural color, an ABV of 58.6%, and was bottled way back in October 2020.
Kavalan’s Solist series can have MSRP’s that can be intimidating. But this Vinho Barrique single barrel feels like one of those rare whiskies that comes close to justifying its price.
Named after the Sanskrit word for “wood” , it’s an appropriate name for a whisky that looks so dark it can easily be mistaken for motor oil.
Longrow is for the nerds. Coming out of Campbeltown’s famous Springbank Distillery, the Longrow brand is responsible for their double distilled heavily peated style of whisky.