Whisky Advocate magazine is the premier source for whisky information, education and entertainment for whisky enthusiasts.
Bourbon’s Star Turn
Dear Whisky Advocate…
Whisky Advocate
Distillations LEAD A MORE SPIRITED LIFE
Marvelous Magic City
Well Pre-Peared • See why whisky and pears are the perfect pairing
The John Salley Guide to Unwinding with Whisky • The former NBA star on the whiskies and cigars he keeps close by—not for collecting, but for enjoying the moment
Bookish Types • Do you sometimes get a whiff of old books in your whisky? Science can explain it
Game On! • At these board-game bars, you can enjoy your favorite dram while playing the tabletop
Doubling Down on Indulgence
Game Time • Keep it interesting with whisky-themed games
Scotland’s Silent Season
Gourd-geous Whisky Cocktails
Circle of Friends and Equals • At Los Angeles Whisky Club’s gatherings, passionate whisky opinions are encouraged
Smoke Signals • Smoke adds flavor to more than whisky and mezcal
Put That in Your Glass and Smoke
Brew-tiful Whiskeys • Created using bottle-ready beer as the distilling base
Viewing Bourbon in a Global Context
BUY IT NOW
RECORD BREAKERS
AUCTION NEWS
Wait for It…
The Year’s Biggest Whiskey News
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT
HIGH STAKES PLAYER • American whiskey is commanding big prices on the auction stage
BLACK MARKET BOURBON BOOM • Our update on the secondary market finds that illegally flipping bourbon is more widespread and profitable than ever, despite predictions of its demise
Biggest Gainers on the Secondary Market • WE SCOURED THE BOARDS TO FIND THE MARKET’S BIGGEST PRICE INCREASES
The Whiskey Detective • Meet a guy who strives to keep the boards free of fakes
MATCHING FLAVORS • Try these chefs’ dishes and recommended pairings with bourbon—in cocktails or served neat
THE BARREL-AGED BAR • All kinds of spirits, and even wines, are using bourbon barrels to impart flavors
Build Yourself a Barrel-Aged Home Bar • 10 BOURBON BARREL-AGED SPIRITS AND WINES TO TRY NOW
THE RISING STARS • Kentucky’s next wave of distilleries is making its mark
FINISHING TOUCH • Secondary casks enhance and expand bourbon’s flavor and texture
HORSE POWER • Just down the road from bourbon’s best-known distilleries lies Bluegrass Country, thoroughbred capital of the world
THE BLANTON’S BOTTLE STOPPERS Racing for The Finish
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
VISIT IF YOU CAN
BEYOND BY THE BLUEGRASS • Whiskey makers outside of Kentucky are crafting their own bourbon traditions
Bourbon Explorers • 9 TRAIL-BLAZING BOURBONS FROM OUTSIDE KENTUCKY
BIG, BOLD TEXAS • The Lone Star State has emerged as a center of whiskey making
12 Texas Whiskeys to Try • Taste and compare your way across the Lone Star State
BUYING GUIDE • VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3 • FALL 2021
WHISKY ADVOCATE SELECTIONS
ABOUT THE BUYING GUIDE • The Buying Guide provides ratings of whiskies from around the world with an emphasis on new releases available for purchase in the U.S. Complete tasting notes are provided for all whiskies scoring 84 points or more (on the Whisky Advocate 100-point scale). Lower-scoring whiskies are included at the discretion of the editors, and some may appear exclusively on whiskyadvocate.com.
Scotland
FOCUS ON The Gladstone Axe • The charismatic William Gladstone served as British Prime Minister for four terms (ending in 1894), and like Churchill and his cigars, Glad-stone was known for wielding an axe to fell trees on his Hawarden Estate in Wales....