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37 Articles

WineSpectator.com

Visit WineSpectator.com/103122 to find links to all of the following resources. FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL OF OUR WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS: WINE SPECTATOR’S VIDEO CONTEST: IT’S TIME TO VOTE The finalists for Wine Spectator’s 16th annual video contest will be revealed on Sept. 12; then it’s your job to pick the winner! Voting will be open from Sept. 12 to midnight, Sept. 18, and this year’s winner will be revealed Sept. 21. WHAT AM I TASTING? Test your tasting skills in our mystery wine game. Every two weeks, we post a tasting note with clues from the color, aromas, flavors and structure. Then, you guess the variety, region, appellation and age of the wine. Good luck! THE WINE WORLD, UNFILTERED Love wine and spirits? Into pop culture? Get the scoop on how drinks intersect with movies, TV,…

WineSpectator.com

The Rise of Chianti Classico

In this issue, Tuscany takes center stage as senior editor and lead taster on the wines Bruce Sanderson reports on the region’s current releases, having tasted more than 525 since his previous report. (This doesn’t include the 2016 and 2017 Brunellos di Montalcino, which appeared in our June 30 issue.) His reviews span three vintages, with 2019 in the middle and firmly in the sweet spot. Sanderson rated the overall vintage a classic in key Tuscan regions. The top-scoring wines include several of the usual super Tuscan suspects: The Cabernet-based Sassicaia 2019 and the 100% Merlot Masseto Toscana 2019 each earned 98 points. However, Sanderson has made a bold decision to cast Chianti Classico in the leading role for this vintage—and for this issue. This historic wine region has long been overshadowed…

The Rise of Chianti Classico

Micro Management I enjoyed reading about wine of the little guys (News, July 31). We toured Sonoma and a little of Napa in 2018 seeking out the little guys. Mixed receptions, but mostly wonderful connections with smaller local vintners. The small wineries who went above and beyond to share their knowledge and wines are still our club memberships. Some great experiences that last with every new vintage. Ned ClelandWinchester, Va. Terms of Endearment Don’t you mean “Côte d’Or” style when you say “Burgundian” style when referring to California Chardonnays? After all, Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais are also in Burgundy, and they make Chardonnays in very different styles than the Côte d’Or. Mike BotwinSan Luis Obispo, Calif. Senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec replies: I understand what you’re saying. Many California winemakers refer to Burgundy as…

Europe Faces Scorching Heat and Fires

Víctor Urrutia has been closely following the wildfires raging across Spain this summer. He’s the co-owner, with his sister María, of estates in five Spanish wine regions, including the historic CVNE (Compania Vinicola del Norte de España) winery in Rioja. Wildfires recently blazed through Urrutia’s Virgen del Galir property in the Valdeorras region of Galicia. More than 12,000 acres in Valdeorras were burned, Urrutia says, although the vast majority of it was forest area. He lost 12 of Virgen del Galir’s 98 acres to flames. “We’re still assessing [the damage],” he began. “The thing about these fires is they’re extremely fast, and we don’t have a lot of experience with them.” Vintners across Europe are gaining experience fast with wildfires, which have scorched or come close to wine regions in Spain, Portugal,…

Europe Faces Scorching Heat and Fires

France’s AXA Millésimes Buys Sonoma Coast’s Platt Vineyard

AXA Millésimes, a subsidiary of the French insurance company AXA, has purchased Sonoma’s Platt Vineyard from Russian River Partners, a vineyard investment fund managed by Eric Flanagan of Flanagan Wines in Healdsburg. AXA owns multiple estates, including Château Pichon-Baron in Bordeaux and Domaine de l’Arlot in Burgundy. The 38-acre Platt Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast wine region near the town of Freestone, and permits are in place for 11 additional vineyard acres to be planted. The price was not disclosed. Since its original planting in 2003, Platt has been a key source for numerous wineries, including Ramey, Littorai and Rivers-Marie. The wines from Rivers-Marie, in particular, gave AXA the confidence to purchase the vineyard. “Above all, the wines Thomas Rivers Brown made from Platt grapes convinced me,” said Christian Seely,…

France’s AXA Millésimes Buys Sonoma Coast’s Platt Vineyard

Lucio Tasca d’Almerita, Champion of Sicilian Wines Count Lucio Tasca d’Almerita, a leader of Sicily’s wine renaissance who helped bring the island’s wines to the world stage at his family winery Tasca d’Almerita, died July 25. He was 82. “Lucio Tasca d’Almerita was one of the main protagonists of Sicilian and Italian viticulture,” said Antonio Rallo, CEO of Donnafugata winery in Sicily. “He was undoubtedly among the first to believe in the potential of our island.” Born Jan. 9, 1940, d’Almerita achieved early success at age 20 as part of Italy’s equestrian team at the 1960 Olympics. After earning several degrees, he began running agricultural operations with his father at the family’s Regaleali estate. Grapegrowing and wine production was part of Regaleali since its founding in 1830, with the first of the modern-day…

Older Adults May Benefit From Alcohol

A new study has prompted a flurry of sensational headlines suggesting that people under 40 should avoid alcohol entirely, while people over 40 may benefit from modest alcohol consumption. But the research, which examined 30 years of health data from multiple nations, presents a complex picture. On the one hand, it found that people under 40 who drink are more likely to engage in risky behavior, increasing their risk of accidents, injury and death. On the other hand, it found that people over 40, whose major health risks are heart disease, stroke and diabetes, stand to benefit from moderate drinking. Conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the study was published in July in The Lancet medical journal. Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which…

Older Adults May Benefit From Alcohol

Fall Bounty Gets Some Love

“I love fall and winter squash because they have such wonderful flavor and are so versatile,” says John Coykendall, master gardener at Wine Spectator Grand Award–winning destination Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn. you can just bake [squash] with brown sugar and butter or sorghum molasses—just however you like to cook it. Some of the simpler ways are the most flavorful.” Many gourds are also good keepers, meaning properly stored they’ll last through winter and beyond (one notable exception is the traditional Halloween pumpkin). “Today you can get them any time of the year, but in the early days [we] were reliant on these things for those keeping qualities,” Coykendall says. “And the longer you save some of them, the sweeter they get.” The restaurants at Blackberry serve all manner of seasonal squash,…

Fall Bounty Gets Some Love

A Star Chef’s Cheesy Soup

For California chef Melissa King, Asian-American media star and LGBTQIA+ activist, traditional, homey, cheese-centric food is right in her wheelhouse. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, King was exposed to the sprawling metropolis’ plethora of ethnic cuisines. Her concise, direct approach can be described as modern and eclectic yet grounded in the classics, with an emphasis on Asian and Californian nouvelle influences. King’s culinary style stems not only from her professional experience in Michelin-starred kitchens but also from a nostalgic affinity for comfort foods. This became immediately apparent upon sampling her menu for the California Artisan Cheese Festival at the Point Reyes Farmstead dining venue The Fork, at Tomales Bay, a few years back. Emerging as a favorite from this memorable luncheon, which was designed to highlight some of the Golden State’s…

A Star Chef’s Cheesy Soup

Exploring the Exotic Beans of India

Fine arabica coffee originated in Ethiopia and then spread to the Arab world. Growing this valuable product elsewhere was prevented by parboiling the green beans before export, thus rendering them infertile. Legend has it that the first to break the monopoly was a pilgrim from India, who smuggled fertile beans out and planted them in Mysore. From the offspring of those initial seeds, India became a major producer of coffee. Despite this fascinating history, India’s coffee—unlike its tea—is underappreciated beyond the South Asian country’s shores, with one exception called Monsooned Malabar processed on the Malabar Coast. Indian coffee beans were originally exported via sailing ships. By the time they reached their destinations, they had absorbed moisture and swollen to twice their normal size. Typically, such beans would be deemed defective due to…

Exploring the Exotic Beans of India

Sauvignon Spotlight This group focuses on Sauvignon Blanc from California, featuring both crisp, mouthwatering styles and plumper, rounder versions that border on tropical fruit character. The Companion Wine Co. is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, sold as a 375ml can. MASSICAN Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2021 (93, $32) Intense; yuzu, ruby grapefruit, Fuji apple, sea salt, lemongrass, vetiver, ginger CLIF FAMILY Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley RTE Blanc 2021 (92, $28) Green apple, guava, lemon zest, white flowers, lemon verbena; sleek, juicy ST. SUPÉRY Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2021 (92, $25) Aromatic, vibrant; lemongrass, lemon thyme, vetiver oil, ginger, orange blossoms, apple GASLIGHTER WINE CO. Sauvignon Blanc California 2021 (91, $25) Key lime, lemon verbena, ruby grapefruit, dried pineapple; pure, precise COMPANION WINE CO. Sunny B Oliver’s Vineyard Edna Valley 2021 (90, $11/375ml) Plump, fragrant,…

The New Face of Castello di Montepò

Since leaving Brunello’s Biondi-Santi in 2020 (after the sale of that estate to EPI Group), Tancredi Biondi Santi has focused his energy on Castello di Montepò, the Maremma estate his father, Jacopo, purchased in the late 1980s. It’s a project the Biondi Santis began in 2018 on the 1,482-acre property, 136 acres of which are devoted to vineyards. Not surprisingly, 85% of the vines are planted with the BBS11 clone of Sangiovese (Brunello Biondi-Santi 11), developed at Tenuta Greppo in Montalcino by Ferruccio Biondi Santi in the late 19th century. Montepò is a windy location, with breezes from Monte Amiata to the north and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south. The vineyards stretch from 950 feet in elevation to more than 1,650 feet, on galestro soils. “We wanted to develop a single…

The New Face of Castello di Montepò

Laura Diaz Reshapes Ehlers Estate

“ I’m still learning,” says Laura Diaz, who has a calm air about her. “And one of the things I’m learning is, sometimes it’s better to wait.” Diaz, a Madrid native, came to the U.S. in 2007 as an intern and went on to work 10 years with winemaker Chris Carpenter at Lokoya, specializing in Napa Cabernets from mountain AVAs. Today, she’s in charge of winemaking at Ehlers Estate, located squarely on the valley floor at the northern end of St. Helena. “It’s very different,” Diaz says. “The fruit, the tannins, everything about the vineyards here is different from the mountain vineyards I was used to. When I started here and we got heat spikes, as we did in ’19, I got nervous. But now I realize you can wait and…

Laura Diaz Reshapes Ehlers Estate

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHIANTI CLASSICO

Chianti Classico is a treasured Italian appellation deserving of the world stage. It’s also the best source of value in Tuscan wine today. After centuries of both struggle and acclaim, the region’s fortunes in the modern era have continued to improve, although its quality-to-price ratio has only recently received recognition. Chianti Classico’s stunning landscapes, from hidden valleys to sweeping vistas on high-elevation rocky slopes, with a complex mix of soils, provide the settings for unique expressions of Sangiovese. Producers are realizing this potential, with financial investment, passion and commitment to their land. Far from a sleepy wine country rooted more in its past than its future, Chianti Classico is perhaps today’s most dynamic region in Tuscany—if not all of Italy. The wines offer a mix of fruit and savory elements. Sangiovese is…

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHIANTI CLASSICO

CENTURIES OF STRUGGLE AND ACCLAIM

Nearly a millennium has shaped the history and culture of Chianti Classico, culminating in wines that rank among Tuscany’s best 1203 BORDER WAR A treaty briefly ends hostilities between Siena and Florence by establishing the Lodo di Poggibonsi, with Florence gaining control of Chianti. 1306 PUSHING BOUNDARIES Lega del Chianti defines the “Classico” region as the area between Florence and Siena, including the communes of Greve, Radda, Gaiole and Castellina. 1384 SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT The Gallo Nero, or black rooster, is selected as a symbol by the Chianti League. 1716 DUKE’S UP The bando of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, delimits Chianti’s first appellations: Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano and Valdarno di Sopra. 1838 SITE MANAGER Baron Bettino Ricasoli moves from Florence to Castello di Brolio to personally manage his estates. 1872 SECRET RECIPE In a letter to professor Cesare Studiati at the University of Pisa, Ricasoli outlines…

CENTURIES OF STRUGGLE AND ACCLAIM

Chianti Classico at a Glance

What does UGA mean? The first step in identifying the best vineyards in Chianti Classico, UGAs delimit growing areas with naturally occurring regional, historical and cultural factors. San Casciano In the northwestern part of Chianti Classico, between the Val di Pesa opening to the west and Val di Greve to the east. The soils are primarily alluvial deposits, with sandstone known in the region as macigno. Montefioralle One of the smallest UGAs, along with Lamole and Panzano, consisting of two vineyard areas: one with sandstone and limestone soils, the other with clay and limestone. San Donato in Poggio A medium-sized UGA, with the northern end similar to aspects of San Casciano. It’s open on the west to the Val di Pesa and bordered on the south by hills where Isole e Olena and Monsanto are located. Castellina The…

Chianti Classico at a Glance

PERFECT BALANCE

The past two decades in Tuscany have been marked by extremes in weather, with a hot, dry vintage one year followed by a cool, wet growing season the next. The region’s vintners, however, have frequently risen to the challenge, honing their skills in the process. This has prepared them to capitalize on harvests in which there is greater equilibrium between rainfall and heat. The recent string of vintages that make up this report—2018, 2019 and 2020—were each born from seasons blessed with such conditions. As a result, the wines from all three years offer pleasure, charm and quality, along with the ability to age. A slight edge goes to 2019, which yielded a number of stellar offerings from Bolgheri and Chianti Classico. “2019 is one of the best vintages in the…

PERFECT BALANCE

With the 2019 and 2020 vintages, Burgundy enjoyed two precocious growing seasons, the former hot and the latter notably dry. The 2020 harvest was particularly early, starting and finishing in August for many growers. This continues a trend of August harvests over the past two decades, with seven of them since 2003. • Despite the difficult conditions, the whites from both years show balance and refinement, particularly the 2020s, which in general feature higher acidities and greater precision than the 2019s. In fact, when I tasted barrel samples of some young 2020s in New York, I found a similarity between the fresh fruit character and harmony of the wines with that of the 2014 vintage, which was one of the best years for white Burgundy in a generation. There is also…

THE AMAZING RACE FOR VALUES

Your budget is limited, but your assignment is clear: You’re on a global mission to find the best wines across the Southern Hemisphere for $30 or less. Where should you begin? Follow our clues on this wine adventure that takes you from continent to continent, into diverse regions where distinctive flavors abound. At every destination, though, the prize is the same: delicious wines at affordable prices. All of the bottlings here rated 89 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale and are made in large-enough quantities to be widely available. Make sure your passports are renewed, because the world of wine awaits. Good luck. Travel safe. Go! FIRST CLUE: NOW IS THE TIME TO BE NARROW-MINDED AS YOU HEAD TO A COUNTRY THAT IS 12 TIMES LONGER THAN IT IS WIDE.…

THE AMAZING RACE FOR VALUES

In Pursuit of Pinqus

Last spring, vintner Peter Sisseck, who came to Spain as an outsider three decades ago, was invited by the international gastronomy summit Madrid Fusión to present barrel samples for a showcase of Spain’s elite “Eternal Wines.” With him onstage was a formidable cadre representing leading Spanish bodegas such as Familia Torres, Lopéz de Heredia, Marqués de Riscal and La Rioja Alta, along with Ribera del Duero’s mythic Vega Sicilia, each showing their flagship wine in its youth. The honor marked a new milestone for Sisseck, 60, the Denmark-born winemaker of cult red wine Pingus, now in its 28th vintage in Spain’s Ribera del Duero. “It was one of the highlights of my life, sitting there with the great historic bodegas,” Sisseck would later reflect, with characteristic humility. “And there I was—this…

In Pursuit of Pinqus

SPECTATOR SELECTIONS

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 97 Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Valley Cailloux Vineyard 2019 $92 WASHINGTON Dynamic and well-sculpted, this Syrah is Washington at its best, offering rich, fragrant flavors of river stone, blueberry, fresh violet and bacon fat that build tension on the long, savory finish. Drink now through 2035. 866 cases made.—T.F. 97 Rocca di Montegrossi Toscana Ridolfo 2016 $230/1.5L ITALY An intense red, with black cherry, blackberry, graphite, tar and toasty oak flavors supported by a dense matrix of tannins. Defined by vivid acidity, which keeps things focused and taut on the lingering finish, this should develop slowly. Cabernet Sauvignon and Pugnitello. Best from 2025 through 2045. 570 cases made, 300…

SPECTATOR SELECTIONS

About the Buying Guide

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world. Complete tasting notes are provided for new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below). Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Germany, Austria James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Spain, Italy, Champagne, Alsace, South Africa Tim Fish California Zinfandel and Merlot, Oregon, Washington, U.S. sparkling wines Aaron Romano Argentina, Chile Kristen Bieler France, Israel How We Do the Tastings Wine Spectator editors taste more than 11,000 wines…

New Wines From Around the World

ARGENTINA Malbec & Blends 95 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Paraje Altamira Finca Piedra Infinita 2019 $175 See Highly Recommended, page 97. 94 Matias Riccitelli Malbec Las Compuertas Republica Vino de Finca en Pie Franco 2019 $57 A lovely red, where alluring five-spice and slate aromas fold over on the palate and join a concentrated blackberry core, with nuances of dried violet and fresh mountain herbs adding dimension around fresh acidity. Delivers elegance and structure as well as depth, with a lingering note of linzer torte. Drink now through 2032. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.—A.R. 93 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza Argentino 2019 $140 A rich, concentrated version, with a note of molasses to the blackberry, pomegranate and plum, with roasted espresso, peppercorn and savory elements folding in around a firm grip of tannins and…

New Wines From Around the World

FBI Uncovers a $13 Million Wine and Whisky Investment Scam

If you want to make a small fortune in the wine business, start with a large one, the old adage goes. And yet that hasn’t stopped a generation of optimistic investors from chasing the lure of trophy wines with astronomical appreciations. But there’s another moneymaking scheme that’s older than investing in wine: fraud. And what a wine-crime pairing they make. The latest affront comes from the U.K. by way of Cleveland, where one Casey Alexander, a British citizen, was arrested June 14 by the FBI and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Along with several unidentified co-conspirators (some of whom are cooperating with the authorities), Alexander stands accused of orchestrating a scheme that swindled more than $13 million from more than 150 parties, through promises of up to 50% returns…

FBI Uncovers a $13 Million Wine and Whisky Investment Scam

High-Proof Pours

In the last decade or so, enthusiasts have discovered the beauty of barrel-proof whisky. Sometimes known as “cask-strength,” "cask-strength," it’s it’s exactly what it claims to be: whisky bottled straight from the barrel with no water added. Barrel-proof whisky is packed with aroma, flavor, and especially texture, with a chewy, almost oily mouthfeel. If you typically enjoy lower-proof whisky, these might sound too hot to handle, but you always have the ability to add water to cool it down a bit. Maker’s Maker’s Mark®® Cask Strength Caramel, honey, marzipan, cotton candy, cinnamon, and clove 54.35% | $45 Laphroaig®® 10 Year Cask Strength Signature peat, iodine and salty flavors, with rich vanilla and a long finish 60.1% | $85 Booker’s Booker's®® Bourbon 2021-03 “Bardstown "Bardstown Batch” Batch" Vanilla, brown sugar, and baking spice with a warm finish 63.95% | $90 Alberta®® Premium…

High-Proof Pours

A Tasting to Remember

Imagine: there in front of you, five different Glencairns, each with a nice pour of a shimmering liquid. They range in color from light straw to shiny bronze to deep mahogany. The liquids came from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and our own United States. Aromas of vanilla, oak, and caramel fill the air. You don’t know which is which or what is what yet, and you won’t know for the next hour or so. All you do know is you’re going to taste some great whiskies, there’s going to be some heated debates, and this is going to be another night to remember. Your whisky club gatherings always are. You and your buddies have been meeting for at least a decade, but this particular tasting began coming together a few weeks ago,…

A Tasting to Remember

The Great American Bourbon Tasting

America’s Distinctive Spirit, Examined Despite the numerous requirements that make bourbon a “distinctive "distinctive product” product" of the United States, there’s there’s still plenty of room for diversity within the category. All bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn, but the secondary grains used, the ratio of the mashbill, and years of aging in the barrel can make for radical differences in aroma, flavor, and texture. “High-rye” "High-rye" bourbons offer spiciness, while “wheated” "wheated" bourbons are beloved for their sweet, inviting character. New charred oak barrels are another requirement, meaning, essentially, the older the age statement, that more rich caramel, vanilla, and, oak spice will be released from the wood. The following show the incredible breadth of our country’s country’s most beloved spirit. Knob Creek® 9 Year Old Rich, sweet,…

The Great American Bourbon Tasting

Finding a Whisky Club

Finding a whisky club is probably easier than you think. There are now so many of them in the U.S. that the hardest part is finding the club that’s right for you. Joining a national club with plenty of members is the easiest way to begin testing the waters (see sidebar for a list of a few of our favorites). Many of the national clubs have regular online events, it’ll be up to you to decide how much or how little you might want to make yourself known and partake in tastings and participate in discussions. When you’re ready to move from online to an in-person club, look for those in your particular neck of the woods. Seriously, if you simply Google your city name + “whisky club” you should find…

Finding a Whisky Club

Starting a Whisky Club

But maybe you’re more of a leader than a follower. Or maybe your ideal whisky club is yet to exist. In that case, let’s delve into the nuts and bolts of starting your own. There’s a lot to consider. Who to invite, what to drink, what else to include, and where to actually hold the events. You don’t necessarily have to have big ambitions. We’ve found the average whisky club only has seven members, which really isn’t much different than a poker night or book group. The most important thing isn’t the whisky, but the fun and camaraderie (and maybe a little dose of education). WHO TO INVITE Maybe it’s literally anyone you know with a passion for whisky across the entire globe—which is certainly achievable in this age of Zoom—though it might…

Starting a Whisky Club

At the Forefront of Japanese Whisky

It may seem that Japanese whisky is a recent phenomenon, but the country actually has a long history with whisky making, starting with the establishment of Yamazaki Distillery in 1923. For most of the 20th century it exclusively made blends, but everything changed in 1984 with the launch of Suntory single malt Yamazaki. Today, the single malts of Yamazaki and Hakushu Distilleries are as well-regarded and coveted as any from Scotland—soft and fruity, with hints of mizunara oak and smoke, and tons of complexity. While Suntory’s blends, like Toki and Hibiki Japanese Harmony—using grain whiskies from Chita Distillery—continue to innovate and break new ground, their harmony of flavors is perfect for sipping neat or in Japan’s iconic Highballs. Suntory Japanese Whisky Toki® Basil, green apple, honey, then grapefruit, green grapes, and thyme 43% |…

At the Forefront of Japanese Whisky

Tools of the Trade

All you really need to have for a successful club are some people and a few different expressions of whisky, but the following can elevate any meeting. GLASSWARE Though Glencairns have become somewhat the standard for tastings, any glass (even a plastic one) that offers a bit of a tulip shape that can focus aromas and allow for neat sipping will work. As the host might not have enough glasses, each member might have to bring their own. TASTING MATS It’s the little touches that can really elevate a tasting, like printing out tasting mats to help members organize their evening’s pours. FOOD American whiskeys typically need sweet and fatty foods that can stand up to their strength. Think bold, semi-hard cheese, charcuterie, candied nuts, dark chocolate, and even unsalted potato chips. For more subtle single…

Tools of the Trade

The Benefits of Tasting Blind

The best way to taste whisky, in our opinion, is blind. No, that doesn’t mean you have to cover up your eyes—though that can be fun—but rather that you shouldn’t know what is in the glass in front of you when assessing its quality. In fact, that’s how Whisky Advocate editors taste when doing their ratings. 1 FIND SOMEONE TO POUR Unfortunately, one person isn’t going to get to taste blind: the one who is responsible for setting up the pours. 2 LABEL AND NUMBER Have the pourer give each bottle a number, then pour it into glassware labeled with the same number, or atop a tasting mat with the same number. 3 COMPARE AND CONTRAST A blind tasting needs at least two whiskies for the benefit of comparison, though four to six whiskies is a…

The Benefits of Tasting Blind

The Venn of Whisky

It’s funny we use the catchall term whisky because, though all are made with grains, the variance between corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley (not to mention different production and aging techniques), means flavors can be radically different. Sure, some will overlap, as you can see below, but there are many aroma and flavor components shared by the two main sides of the whisky spectrum. BOURBON/ RYE / CORN WHISKEY AMERICAN& CANADIAN Butterscotch Crème brûlée Maple syrup Molasses Creamy Yeasty dough Nutty Toasted almonds Pecan Dried fruit Blackberry Nutmeg Anise Cinnamon Mint Cedar Tobacco leaf Vanilla Caramel Toffee Honey Toasted oak Baking spices Clove Spice Fruit Cherry Candied orange Chocolate Coffee Floral Herbal Vegetal Leather MALTED WHISKY SCOTCH, IRISH, JAPANESE, INCLUDINGPEAT Pear Green apple Berry jam Raisins Grapefruit Stone fruit Lychee Pineapple Tropical fruit Coconut Ginger White pepper Perfume Medicinal Bonfire smoke Maritime/brine Seaweed HELPFUL TIPS: SEE, SWIRL, SIP COLOR Appreciate the color, which might tell you about the wood used to finish the whisky. SWIRL GENTLY Coat just the bottom third of the glass. Not a big swirl, as with wine. The alcohol in whisky will evaporate…

The Venn of Whisky

Not Finished Yet!

Today’s Today’s innovative distilleries use experimental finishes and skillful blending. “Finishing” "Finishing" began in Scotland in the early-1980s; distilleries began putting already aged scotch in sherry butts, thus imparting additional notes. Today, the practice is utilized in Ireland, Japan, and America, where practitioners play with char, “toasting,” "toasting," and barrel staves. Blending likewise is au courant, with many adopting the Japanese practice of layering different casks to create a harmonious product. To shop these whiskies & download tasting tools visit whiskyadvocate.com/tools. Maker’s Mark 46® Cherries, plums, caramel, cocoa powder, and toasted tobacco 47% | $35 Basil Hayden® Toast Toasted oak, dried fruit, vanilla, and caramelized sugar 40% | $50 Legent® Bourbon Spice and fruit from the sherry casks. Red-wine casks add tartness. 47% | $50 Laphroaig® Quarter Cask Hints of coconut, banana, and vanilla, with seaside, smoky peat 48% | $75 ©2022 Beam Suntory…

Not Finished Yet!

Thematic Tasting Basics

While just gathering folks around a few bottles is often enough, if you hold regular get togethers, at a certain point you might want to decide on a theme beforehand. You might focus on one specific style or spend the night doing a deep dive into one particular distillery. However, it can be most exciting to structure themed tastings around more “out there” ideas. Several Themes To Get You Started KEEP IT LOCAL With so much great whisky around the globe, sometimes we forget to check in on our neighbors. Devote a tasting to only distilleries from your city, state, or region. GO VERTICAL Attempt to assemble a vertical lineup, meaning several years in a row of the same release. Though whisky doesn’t age in the bottle, production methods and the randomness of barrel aging…

Thematic Tasting Basics

Tasting by the Numbers

What goes on and what should you expect when you join or create a whisky club? 50 top whisky clubs were contacted by Whisky Advocate to find out what they do and how they approach their tasting events. BOTTLE COUNT 4 EXPRESSIONS SAMPLED PER TASTING 54 BOTTLES TASTED PER YEAR POPULAR TASTING THEMES 70% TASTE WHISKIES OF ONLY ONE STYLE 60% HAVE TASTED WHISKIES FROM ONE DISTILLERY 58% HAVE TASTED WHISKIES FROM ONE REGION 7 MEMBERS ATTEND EACH MEETING 3/4 OZ. AVERAGE POUR 50% HAVE A WEBSITE $82 SPENT PER BOTTLE FREQUENTLY TASTING WHISKIES 77% REGULARLY SAMPLE SINGLE MALTS WHERE CLUBS MEET 55% MEET MONTHLY 75% MET ONLINE DURING THE PANDEMIC…

Tasting by the Numbers

A Whisky Advocate score of over 90 points is a true mark of excellence. These are scores given to prestige whiskies of every category as shining examples of craft and quality: standard bearers of the distilleries they represent. Savor these exceptional examples as you explore and refine your palate of 90+ whiskies. 92 Laphroaig ® 10-Year-Old 43% | $60 92 Bowmore® 15-Year-Old 43% | $100 93 Kilbeggan® Single Pot Still 43% | $45 ©2022 Beam Suntory Inc. Chicago, IL. Prices shown reflect the suggested retail price. Actual retail prices may vary.…

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