THE BEST Whiskeys

Winter is coming, putting us in the mood to rewatch Game of Thrones with Johnnie Walker’s two GOT-inspired whiskey imports. Song of Ice represents the north’s House Stark with a single malt from Clynelish, one of Scotland’s northernmost distilleries. Song of Fire salutes House Targaryen with peated malts from the Caol Ila distillery.

Tennessee whiskey distiller Orphan Barrel continues to progressively age its Rhetoric series, and the 23rd year seems to be a good one. Rhetoric 23 is a bit sweeter than the 22 year, with heaps of dried fruit, vanilla, oak, spice, chocolate, and a potent 90.6 proof.

A delightfully smooth, light, and slightly sweet blend of bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and rye from the past three decades. It’s honey forward, with grassy undertones, and a bit of apple and spice on the finish. Sips easy on its own, and perfect for old fashioneds.

Since the 1880’s, Jack Daniel’s world famous whiskey has been produced in the small city of Lynchburg, Tennessee. The company’s newest ad campaign introduces some of the city’s residents, including those who make their “postcard”, the Old No. 7.

Heritage Handcrafted has found many great uses for reclaimed whiskey barrels, like these patriotic cufflinks, made from Jack Daniel’s barrel wood. 10% of all profits go to Operation Ride Home, which helps fund travel for active duty military members so they can visit home.

We recently had the privilege of visiting George Dickel Tennessee Whisky’s famous Cascade Hollow Distillery, and went behind the scenes to see how grains, water, and yeast are transformed into wonderful whiskies for us to enjoy. Here, we share our tour in photos.

Laphroaig’s latest wonder is a rich mix of some of our favorite flavors. Smoke, fire, chocolate, burnt citrus, vanilla. What’s not to like? While its core is definitely is peaty, its complexity makes it inviting to Islay Scotch neophytes and fanatics alike.

Blade and Bow offers up two award-winning Kentucky straight bourbons – a wonderfully easy to drink whiskey with a hint of pear and a spicy finish, and a smokey, oaky and wintry 22-year, both of which leverage heritage batches from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery.