Whisky Advocate Fall 2019

As leaves begin to tum, shadows grow longer and we prepare for a season filled with friends, family, and conviviality, whisky is front of mind. Whether you're hosting a major holiday or putting on an intimate soirée, you'll find that whisky is, more than ever, an essential guest. In this issue, we explore the art of entertaining with whisky-ail the joy, excitement, and adulation that comes from sharing our favorite spirit. Step up your hospitality by learning from the pros and taking inspiration from our editors as we help you transform a utilitarian party bar into a focal point of the fun. Our five engaging whisky-themed bars include single malt scotch, international whiskies, bourbon with cigars, and more, each one conceived to beckon beginners and serious enthusiasts alike. Ready to stock…

MAD ABOUT SCIENCE Dear Whisky Advocate, I got my Summer issue yesterday and got a laugh at how diverse your readership is. In the letters to the editor, a gentleman asked for fewer tech articles and more travel related. I’m the exact opposite. I love seeing the science and craft that goes into the process. It’s a very well balanced offering. I have been playing around with aging in micro-barrels and really watching the maturation process. Yes, this is very low-brow juice, but it has gotten good reviews from some and “this is way too oaked” from others. I hollowed and charred a white oak stump (pictured). It currently resides on the upper level of my rickhouse (garden shed). So, I enjoy the techy “what if” aspect of the whisky world. Thanks for a fun magazine! Kent…

Charmed by Charleston 48 HOURS Chucktown Craft Discover a bounty of breweries and distilleries With its endless cobblestone streets, finely manicured gardens, bright-colored antebellum houses, and historic churches, food and beverage have a lot of competition for the attention of visitors to Charleston, S.C. Fortunately, the city’s chefs and bartenders are up to the challenge, combining local ingredients and history into mouthwatering dishes and drinks. “Charles-ton’s vibrant food and beverage scene is root-ed in its rich agricultural diversity. Visitors can explore flavors they may not encounter anywhere else in the world, and that is true not just for its many amazing restaurants, but its whiskey makers too,” says Scott Blackwell, High Wire Distilling Co.’s co-owner and dis-tiller. With every destination either walkable or a short ride, it’s easy to indulge in Charles-ton’s flavors, hospitality,…

Unlike wine, there’s no practical reason to decant whisky or other spirits. It’s a purely aesthetic choice—an easy way to dress up that boring budget bottle on your bar. Whether your taste leans traditional or modern, we favor glass, which allows the whisky’s hue to shine through. Decanters are also de rigeur among whisky lovers who dabble in the art of home blending. What better way to show off a house blend that's clearly a winner?…

Falling leaves and temperatures mean it’s time to pull out the sweaters, start the bonfires, and drink apple cider or lattes with added cinnamon and pumpkin spice. But why not pair those flavors with your favorite warming spirit? Mixing spices into cocktails enhances whiskey’s inherent baking-spice notes, like cinnamon, clove, and vanilla, and the right balance of ingredients keeps these drinks from becoming sweeter than pie. The Autumn Bond Created by Jordan Valls, lead bartender at The Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library, Portland, Ore. This cocktail is a bit like a drinkable apple pie. “Using two bonded products gives a backbone to keep the drink from being too sweet, while the amaro’s super savory aspect adds the perfect mid-palate flavor,” Valls says. 1 oz. Rittenhouse straight rye bottled in bond (or other 100-proof rye)½ oz. Laird’s…

GREEN BANANA Powers John’s Lane 12 year old Waxy green banana flavor is often accompanied by apple and pineapple. RIPE BANANA Nikka Coffey Grain Pure, ripe banana can venture toward sweet banana candies, taffy, and syrups. BANANA BREAD Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection High Angel’s Share Barrels Baking spice and bready notes meet overripe banana. Tasting Lesson is a drink hack to help you better identify common whisky flavors and their origins Banana is an easily identifiable flavor in many whiskies, especially Japanese, Irish, and bourbon. As one of the most popular fruits in the country, the flavor of banana is instantaneously familiar. To find its origin, however, we must probe a little into the science of fermentation. Basically, the stuff they didn’t teach you in sundae school. Classic overripe banana notes are found in an acetate ester called isoamyl acetate,…