Whisky Advocate Winter 2020

This year has brought unprecedented challenges and Whisky Advocate’s annual Top 20 has been something to look forward to for our team, and hopefully for all of you as well. The story begins on page 58, but first a bit about our approach. We refer to our Top 20 as “the most exciting whiskies of the year” because they represent more than just another roundup of the “best” whiskies that you may never find or afford. In addition to quality, we place considerable importance on availability and price. As always, the whiskies were tasted blind, without knowledge of their identity, by each of our panel of tasters (see page 66). Due to COVID-19, we were unable to gather in person. Reviewers tasted coded samples at home and scored them independently, before…

DEEP DIVE INTO STEEL CITY Dear Whisky Advocate, I just wanted to thank you for the great article on Pittsburgh in your Summer 2020 issue. As a long-time resident of the Steel City, I was impressed with how thorough and well researched it was—it went far beyond the usual Primanti’s/Incline/Strip District recommendations that are typically presented in magazine features. You really made our city look good, and the deep dive into the western Pennsylvania whisky scene was much appreciated. Thanks,Jim Zahniser Hello Jim, Thanks for the kind words. We have several people on the ground in Pennsylvania and we are pleased to hear you feel we did service to Pittsburgh and this historically significant whiskey state. SHOPPING INSPIRATION Dear Whisky Advocate, I was in the process of buying my usual whiskey, Wild Turkey, when the thought occurred to…

It’s the season of splurge, and one of the best ways to make a whisky even more lush is to lace it with creaminess. You’ll find that the complementary and contrasting notes of rich heavy cream and coconut milk blend brilliantly with the spirit. “Milk and other creamy ingredients can actually heighten those treasured baking spice flavors in whiskies while simultaneously toning down their intensity,” explains Andra “AJ” Johnson, beverage director of Serenata and Zumo in Washington, D.C. The cocktails below perfect that balance with silky satisfaction. Ciudad Paraíso Created by Andra “AJ” Johnson, beverage director of Serenata and Zumo, Washington, D.C. Spanish for “Paradise City,” this tropical combination will transport your taste buds to the warm islands no matter what the temperature is outside. 2 oz. Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series No. 2 (or…

Fundamentally, bread is a simple food, the amalgam of water, flour, yeast, and salt, but it is also many things to many people. For generations of diners, it is an essential addition to any table; for the carb-phobic, it is a diet destroyer; and for harried moms and dads through the ages, it is the basis of many a school lunch. It is also, for perhaps most of us, something we tend to take for granted. Until, that is, we were all quarantined in our homes last spring. If you ventured anywhere near the Internet during the first phase of the COVID-19 quarantine, you witnessed the rise of a national obsession with sourdough bread. The reason behind it, speculates Eric Boerner, a New Jersey-based baker and former culinary arts instructor, is our…

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated many changes in our world, from the introduction of now-commonplace Zoom meetings to the widespread wearing of face masks. Restaurants and bars have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and many have pivoted to serving whisky and cocktails to go, often enabled by the loosening of liquor laws. When you chill out with a professionally crafted cocktail at home while supporting your favorite local bars, everybody wins. Barrel-Aged Cocktails, Pours, And More Travel Bar Brooklyn, N.Y. This Brooklyn institution offers a wide range of takeout options. All of its signature cocktails are available in premixed bottles—the half-bottle option ($52) yields four cocktails while the full bottle ($100) yields eight. Whisky flights, as well as pours of the bar’s 450 whiskies, are also offered. TRY IT TO GO A…

Whether you wake to the wafting aromas from your neighborhood roaster or are content to start the day gulping down a bottomless cup of joe at the diner, coffee flavors are at once quotidian and invigorating. In fact, they’ve even coined a word for the tendency to not start anything until you’ve had a cup of coffee: procaffeinating. While they might inhabit different parts of our day, coffee flavors and whisky find delightful ways to intersect, including classic Irish Coffee, whisky-flavored coffee beans, and coffee-flavored whiskey like Jameson Cold Brew. Likewise, coffee flavors appear in many whiskies, particularly sherry cask-matured scotch, whiskies made from dark-roasted grains, and those finished in stout casks. They can also be found mingled with the caramel and spice in bourbon and rye. The flavors of coffee usually…