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Journeyman Whiskey Reviews – A recipe for something different.

Just over a week ago, I had the good fortune of finding myself with a free Sunday afternoon in southwest Michigan.  With a quick google search, I knew exactly how I would kill that time:  a tour of the Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan.

Journeyman Distillery Tour

While there, I picked up a few bottles that are reviewed below.  But first, a little bit about Journeyman.

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American Whiskey 2018 Year in Review

Like 2017, this past year has been a good year for American whiskey.    And like 2017, we decided to bring you a “2018 Year in Review” discussing some of the hits and misses for 2018 American whiskey producers.   Luckily, we have been fortunate to get to sample some (and by no means all) of the most notable of this year’s releases. Below are some objective observations from some these, listed in the order in which we posted reviews.  Inter-disbursed are this year’s Top 10 Lists from Scott Hill, Stephen Netherton, Jamie Baalmann, Stephen Benson, Eric Schroeder and Jay Cary.

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Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye

Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye

This past month, Beam-Suntory dropped yet another new Knob Creek Rye to the market.  This time – unlike the “premium” Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye at 119.6 Proof and carrying a 9 year age statement, and the Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks at 115 proof and available age statements, both hitting the market this past year – Beam released the Twice Barreled Rye with no age statement and at the traditional Knob Creek 100 proof.

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Booker’s 30th Anniversary Review (Bonus: Booker’s 25th Anniversary Review)

Booker's 30th

This past month, Jim Beam released Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1988 release of Booker’s bourbon.

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Heaven Hill 27 Year Review

Heaven Hill 27 Year 

Heaven Hill 27

There are those marks in time that seemingly every true bourbon nerd knows.   Like the year of the Bottled-in-Bond Act.  Or the year Stitzel-Weller closed.  Or the year Sazerac 18 exhausted its “vatted” rye stock.   The year of the Heaven Hill fire is one of those.

In 1996, Heaven Hill experienced a devastating fire, destroying many warehouses, the still house, and over 90,000 barrels of aging whiskey.  Certainly the loss of aging stock was tragic, but the loss of the still house changed Heaven Hill forever.

After the fire, with no place to distill, the bourbon industry stepped up to Heaven Hill’s rescue.  Distillers like Brown-Foreman and Jim Beam started contract distilling for Heaven Hill (to Heaven Hill’s specifications).  Then in 1999, instead of rebuilding the distillery, Heaven Hill purchased and began operating the Bernheim distillery, which it operates today.  

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