This week is all about the limited-edition whisky. Balvenie is rolling out its fourth batch of Tun 1509, an annual release that blends various casks in a marrying vat. The NAS single malt is pricy, but scores well—91 points each for  Batch 1 and Batch 3 .

Michter’s is offering a 25 year old bourbon for the first time in nine years. Michter’s didn’t make any of the whiskey: its Shively distillery has only been open since 2012, though the company was making whiskey at other distilleries for several years before then. But Michter’s president Joseph Magliocco says this bourbon’s...

Ian Macleod Distillers announced that it will reopen Rosebank Distillery after acquiring the trademark from Diageo and agreeing to acquire the site from Scottish Canals. The project—which includes a visitor center, along with production and warehousing—will cost £10 million to £12 million ($13.2 million to $15.9 million), and construction is projected to take about two years, with a goal to begin distillation by 2019. In the meantime, Ian Macleod has also acquired all Diageo’s remaining stocks of Rosebank whisky—just “several dozen casks,” according to Ian Macleod’s operations director Gordon Doctor. The company will release that old whisky bit by bit...

When it comes to active summertime pursuits, your favorite whisky glass has one fatal flaw—it’s glass. After all, nothing brings an outdoor party to a literal standstill faster than the sound of a smashing glass. These durable whisky vessels are perfectly suited to summer fun. So pour yourself a favorite whisky, majbe topped off with ice and soda, and kick off those shoes with confidence, knowing that your crystal whisky glasses are at home in the cupboard, enjoying a well-deserved vacation of their own.

An Unbreakable Vessel For Every Summer Setting

If you’re at a garden party:  Copper Tumbler, $20...

Burgers are an American summertime staple for good reason. They’re simple to make, quick to cook, and represent a beefy blank canvas for creative grillmasters, especially when armed with a palette of colorful whisky flavors.

Chef Shane McBride offers a Whisky Burger at New York City restaurant augustiine , caramelizing onions, deglazing them with Laphroaig 10 year old , and then finishing them with butter and another quick hit of Laphroaig. “I’m a scotch drinker,” he says. “My intention was to add some smokiness without having [actual] smoke.” The Whisky Burger comes topped with aged Comté cheese and a shot...

Scotland is about to get two “new” distilleries. Multinational drinks company Diageo —which owns 28 malt distilleries and one grain distillery in the country—announced that it will invest £35 million (about $46.1 million) to reopen Port Ellen Distillery on Islay and Brora Distillery on the east coast of the northern Highlands. The two single malt distilleries closed in 1983, during a period of decline for the scotch industry. The process of reopening—which includes planning, design, and construction work for both distilleries—will take up to three years. Distilling is slated to begin no later than 2020.

According to Dr. Nick Morgan,...

Arouse your senses and prepare to deconstruct the flavors found in your whisky glass. Tasting Lesson is a drink hack to help anyone identify common whisky flavors and their origin.

Vanilla is America’s most popular ice cream flavor. It’s familiar and imminently likeable, and its appearance in bourbon and other whiskies ranges from vanilla buttercream frosting to the intense flavor of the tiny, granular seeds scraped from a dark, wrinkled vanilla pod.

Vanilla pod flavors vary according to the pod’s origin, whether from Tahiti, the island of Bourbon, or Mexico. Vanilla can be simultaneously smoky, sweet, floral, or fruity, but...

While pumpkin spice continues to encroach on the fall flavor spectrum, it hasn’t quite yet supplanted apple as the default seasonal fruit. Regardless of preference—McIntosh, Granny Smith, Fuji, or something else altogether—there’s an apple for every taste. And similarly, there is an abundance of apple-forward whiskies to suit a variety of palates.

Don’t get us wrong: these aren’t apple-flavored whiskies, but they do express apple flavors , whether fresh, cooked, or dried. And they’ll pair perfectly with apple-related activities, like picking in an orchard and baking fresh pies. It is officially fall, so dive into the season’s sweetest pastime and...

This is a great week for scotch lovers. A whole boatload of new single malts—and a couple new blends—are rolling out to store shelves. First, Macallan has two new releases to track down: Fine Oak 18 year old—which was released overseas before coming to the U.S.—joins the existing Fine Oak range of age statement whiskies. Macallan Classic Cut, on the other hand, is an NAS whisky bottled at cask strength. It’s around for a limited time only and has a recommended price of $89.

Macallan’s parent company, Edrington Group , also owns Highland Park , and the Orkney distillery has...

In Pour This, Pair That, Whisky Advocate asks professional chefs to share a recipe designed for a specific type of whisky. Learn why these food and whisky combinations work—and try them yourself at home!

Sherried scotch tastes great on its own, and is also a versatile option for food pairings. With a wide array of characteristics—from fruity to nutty and creamy to oily—sherried whisky can play brilliantly with a number of different foods at the table. And because it’s often robust and complex, it pairs especially well with rich, fatty dishes, like these Foie Gras Gougères by chef Michael Santoro...

As we pack away our swimsuits and sandals and pull out the sweaters and boots, it’s also time to shelve the light, sessionable cocktails and put deeper flavors front and center. Not only does whisky warm you from inside out, but there is also a whisky to complement pretty much every fall flavor, from apples to squash, resulting in a bounty of delicious cocktails.

Whether you’re gathered around a bonfire, navigating a corn maze, or raking the leaves (yet again), keep these recipes in rotation all fall long.

Try These Whisky Cocktails Made With Autumn Ingredients

The Pandorica Opens: Combine...

Definition

Whisky (or whiskey) is a distilled spirit made from fermented grain and typically matured in wooden containers for some period of time.

Where It Comes From

Whisky can be made anywhere in the world. Certain countries—like Scotland, Ireland, the United States, and Canada—have regulations that govern its production. Get the details in our Instant Expert guides.

How It’s Made

To get a full understanding of the whisky-making process, see “ How Whisky Is Made .”

Whisky vs. Whiskey

The “e” or lack thereof in the word’s spelling is purely orthographical. Whisky is whiskey is whisky. Certain countries favor one...

“This smooth cocktail starts with the high notes from the mandarin and the sweetness from the walnut and vermouth,” says mixologist and beverage director Christopher Wagner of New York City’s...

Many whisky drinkers prefer to try a small pour of something before committing to buying a whole bottle. That’s why WhiskyFest is perfect for the curious drinker. There are hundreds of whiskies to sample, including new releases that maj not have even made it to store shelves yet. (WhiskyFest is also a great time to revisit old favorites, or try highly rated whiskies you’ve never gotten around to tasting—like these top scotch and bourbon picks.)

WhiskyFest San Francisco 2017 will have plenty of new drams to taste, including some—like the unaged and barely-aged Tennessee whiskey being made by John Lunn and Allisa...

“Fall is my favorite time of the year for live music. The Empire Line cocktail is named for a song from the upcoming fall release from The National. The drink emulates the song with its depth and richness,” says Steva Casey, bartender at...

The Late Harvest, created by bartender Mario Salas of Nashville’s...

The Falling in Love cocktail combines spices with bourbon and fruit juices for a drink that tastes and looks like fall. “You get warming spices and robust flavors that help keep you warm, but also make you feel at home,” says creator Cody Goldstein, founder of...

“There’s nothing like sitting around a backyard and savoring the final moments of summer as we transition to the cooler evenings of fall,” says Jacyara de Oliveira, bar manager at Beatnik in Chicago. She created The Pandorica Opens to celebrate the joys of cooler weather. “The combination of smoke and apples in the base spirits here reminds me of campfires and apple picking.” Add the warming spices from Yellow Chartreuse and walnut liqueur, plus some nutty sherry to dry it all out, and this cocktail tastes like fall in a glass.

The post The Pandorica Opens appeared first on Whisky...

An Apple a Day keeps the doctor away…or in this case keeps you warm and cozy. “This cocktail evokes memories of grandma’s baked apple pie, the crisp autumn air, burning leaves, and hayrides through the orchard,” says Allen Lancaster, master cocktail craftsman at...

Corn isn’t just for eating off the cob or running mazes—try it in this cocktail, created by Becky McFalls-Schwartz, beverage director at Bar Moga in New York City. “The corn flavor in this recipe really comes through, adding a sweet vegetal, pasture-like note that makes me think of the close of summer and transition into fall. The chipotle adds a faint smokiness and depth without imparting too much heat, and the sherry and Cherry Heering round it out with the faintest touch of acidity,” says McFalls-Schwartz, who collaborated on this recipe with the chefs at Table X , Salt Lake...

SPI Group , the parent company of boutique whiskey brand Kentucky Owl , has plans to build a $150 million distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, according to documents released by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA). The company is eyeing property in Bardstown, home to several bourbon distilleries, including Heaven Hill , Barton 1792 , Willett , and Bardstown Bourbon Company , as well as Lux Row , which is set to open in early 2018. SPI Group’s project has been approved for a tax incentive of up to $2 million, and is estimated to create 77 new jobs.

Kentucky...