Whisky Advocate Fall 2017

The stock market has posted a string of new highs this year, but our eyes are focused firmly on the bull run for whisky. Limited releases, vintage bottles, and special expressions are in high demand and achieving record-breaking prices at auction. Scotch and Japanese whisky have been duking it out for the title of most col-lectible distillery (see our top ten countdown starting on page 78), but the fervor also in-cludes pre-Prohibition American bottles and rare bourbon and rye. Many whisky lovers are left wondering, “Am I too late?” This is the question at the heart of our whisky collect-ing package, starting on page 70—and the answers may surprise you. Dedicated collectors continue to succeed by prowling retail stores, like Whisky Advo-cate senior whisky specialist Adam Polonski and legendary vintage American…

IN SEARCH OF SIPPING WHISKEY Dear Whisky Advocate, I began tasting different whiskeys about two years ago and enjoy the adventure immense-ly. I try to focus on the highest Whisky Advo-cate ratings around or under $50. Admittedly it is tough to drink one’s mistakes, but there are worse things in life. That being said, I like to sip whiskey while reading a book. Some of the ratings I’ve seen comment on whether it is a good sipping whiskey...George Dickel [Barrel Select], for example. I know it is subjective, but tasting in conjunction with the WA ratings is half the fun. Can WA provide more commentary on whether a whiskey is a good sipping whiskey, or is there something more I can read into the existing ratings? For example, if it…

Never mind Vegas; Montreal is the original Sin City, a nickname it earned during Prohibition when it quenched American thirst with an influx of Canadian whisky thanks to an alleged deal struck between Samuel Bronfman, of Montreal-based Seagram, and Al Capone. Nowadays, Montreal is known for its fantastic wine bars and brewpubs, but its distilling roots are beginning to reemerge. A handful of craft distilleries have opened recently and Sazerac, which at one time operated out of Old Montreal, started distilling there once again this fall. The Old Montreal Distillery will offer visitor tours beginning next spring. Day One For now, local distilling operations in the city are tiny—and young, as are their whiskies. Cirka Distilleries, located in an industrial neighborhood in the city’s southwestern quadrant, offers tastings of its…

The U.S. stock market indices aren’t the only measures of investment performance regularly breaking records these days. The Whisky Advocate Auction Index (WAAI) was launched in 2010 to track the rise and fall of a group of collect-ible whiskies. With phenomenal growth in the secondary market for rare whiskies, it’s time to see how the WAAI and some individual whiskies have performed compared to more traditional investments over the same period. Of course, there’s no guarantee of continued appreciation with any investment, but unlike bankrupted stocks or a wallet full of bitcoin, should things take a turn for the worse, you can at least drink your whisky. Index and commodity prices are based on the period 1/4/2010 to 1/3/2017. Whisky prices are retail or auction sales nearest to these dates.…

The opening of the Lindores Abbey Distillery on August 30th, in the county of Fife, was a step back into Scotch distilling history—way back. Lindores features in the first recorded evidence of Scotch distillation in the Exchequer Rolls of 1494/95, noting in translation from the Latin: “Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae.” Cor was a member of the Tironensian order of monks who had constructed Lindores Abbey during the late 12th century, and it was probably an apothecary. The bolls of malt in question were used to make aqua vitae—or whisky—for King James IV. Today, the ruins of Lindores Abbey are in the ownership of the McKenzie Smith fam-ily. The new Lindores Abbey Distillery, with husband and wife Drew and Helen McKenzie Smith…

Scotch whisky may be our favorite export of the Scottish Isles, but it’s not the only one. According to an Act of Parliament, Harris Tweed must be made from virgin wool, dyed and spun on the Outer Hebrides, and woven in the homes of the Islanders. Produced using only human power, it’s a sustainable, beautiful, and durable natural fabric. Harris Tweed has been produced the same way for over a century, so like a tasty island dram, it never goes out of style. No wonder many designers are racing to incorporate it. Hip Flask by Swig, $75 Crafted on the Isle of Skye, Swig’s latest design comes wrapped in handmade Harris Tweed. Top it up with 6 oz. of Talisker, or any other whisky you fancy. swigflasks.com Stormy Kromer Hat,…