Category: Spirits

We’re continuing our journey into the popular whisky of the mid-20th century, and along the way we’ve found that some brands have tried to modernize their branding and image, appealing to the latest generation of drinkers. Ballantine’s doesn’t play that game, keeping with its distinctive mid-century look and feel despite the changing times around it. And in spite of that (or perhaps because of it?) they seem to be doing just fine.

We’ve been doing a deep-dive into the whiskey of the ’60s – exploring a time period when the industry was just starting to regain its glory after years of prohibition. Today we’re checking out J&B Rare, a scotch with a long history that saw a surge in popularity (and screen time) during the mid-20th century.

There’s a ton of good whiskey on the shelves these days, but that wasn’t always the case. Following prohibition in the United States, the whiskey supply took some time to recover and quality sometimes took a back seat to quantity. To get a better idea of what whiskey was like during this mid-century period, we’re going to be taking a look at four whiskies that were popular in the 1960s. And where better to start than with the favorite of Don Draper himself: Canadian Club 1858 Original Blended Canadian Whiskey.

Previously, we’ve reviewed Banker’s Club Scotch Whisky and we were pleasantly surprised. Nothing to write home about, but considering the dirt-cheap price point, the quality was surprisingly adequate. So today I’m diving back into the bottom shelf and checking out their American Whiskey offering.

I’m a huge fan of apple pie, and I’m a huge fan of whiskey. Any time these two things come together, I feel the need to check it out — knowing full well that I come away from the process disappointed more often than not. But hope springs eternal, and a new expression from Sugarlands Distilling Co threatens to put a green apple twist on the classic.

When I tell people that I write a whiskey blog, most respond with some variation of jealousy, envy, and awe. They envision all the delicious craft spirits to drink and the amazing distilleries to visit. And it’s true, there are definitely perks to this job. But what they don’t think about is the other end of the spectrum: the bottom of the shelf, where the whiskey only comes in litres (or larger) and flavor is a secondary consideration. Welcome to another expedition into that bottom shelf for the Banker’s Club Blended Scotch Whisky.

Some of you may remember our review of Witherspoon Texas whiskey. Well, for anyone out there who is a hardcore fan, we’ve got news for you: the distillery behind Witherspoon has come out with a new expression of their spirits — and they’re so confident in it that they’ve re-branded their whole operation to match. Quite literally betting the farm on this new spirit’s performance.

Continuing our exploration of some more mainstream brands (for the sake of my palate and wallet), we’re checking out an offering from one of the most ubiquitous whiskey brands: Jack Daniels. The folks at Jack Daniel’s have created a variety of expressions of their famous sour mash bourbon. One version of their spirit goes through the famous Lincoln County charcoal mellowing process not once but twice, and that version is known as Gentleman Jack.

Some areas of the country are more well known for their whiskey production than others. Kentucky, for example, is lousy with distilleries both of the legal and illegal variety. Colorado isn’t particularly known for their distilling prowess — brewing, yes; distilling… not so much. But there are a few brands coming out of this state and starting to make some noise – including the one we’re checking out today: Colorado-based Tincup.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been avoiding some of the more popular brands for a while now. It just didn’t feel like I had anything to contribute to the conversation when others have already written all there is to say. But after months of COVID-19 social distancing, during which I have tested some truly terrible, weird whiskeys in the name of blogging, I feel like I deserve to treat myself to something nice. So today I’m finally cracking this bottle of Basil Hayden’s that I’ve been salivating over for quite a few months.