Guides and tasting notes

Japanese Whisky Explained: What the Label Means and What to Buy

What Japanese whisky actually means on a label since the industry standard took full effect, how to build a proper highball and mizuwari, and an honest guide to seven Japanese blends.

Christmas Liquor Gift Ideas: Spirits for Every Personality

The best liquor gift is the one that matches how someone already drinks. This guide sorts Christmas spirits gifts by personality, from the rum lover and the gin enthusiast to the whisky collector and the person who has everything.

Bourbon Gifts for Christmas: Willett Family Bottles, Kentucky Classics and More

Single bourbon and rye bottles to give this Christmas, led by the Willett family labels from Bardstown, Kentucky. Each pick says who it suits, from the collector to the bourbon and cola drinker.

Whisky for Christmas: Which Bottle to Give, From Islay Smoke to Sherry Casks

Single bottles to give a whisky drinker this Christmas, chosen by the kind of whisky they already enjoy: smoky, sherried, Japanese or Australian. A separate section covers 2008 bottles as an 18th birthday gift, not a Christmas one.

Australian Whisky Explained: Tasmania, the Mainland, and the Bottles Worth Knowing

What Australian law requires of a whisky, why the climate, small casks and Australian wine and apera casks make it taste different, and the Tasmanian and mainland producers worth knowing: Lark, Spring Bay, Starward, Archie Rose, Cape Byron, Fleurieu, 5Nines, Canberra Distillery, Backwoods and Nosferatu.

Types of Bourbon: An Australian Buyer's Guide

Bourbon is sorted by law, by label, by mash bill, by how the barrels were chosen and by strength. This guide explains each one, including what Kentucky straight bourbon actually guarantees, and points to the bottles worth starting with in Australia.

The Best Whiskies to Try: Liquor Wine Cave's Expert Guide

The world of whisky keeps evolving, and there is a treasure trove of new and classic bottles to explore. From innovative cask finishes to longstanding distillery traditions, there is something...

Discovering Togouchi, the Japanese whiskies made near Hiroshima

Togouchi is a whisky created by the Japanese distillery Chugoku Jozo located not far from Hiroshima.

This distillery has been making liquor, sake and shochu, a traditional Japanese alcohol, with the greatest care and attention since 1918. In 1990, it began to make whisky and the Togouchi brand was born.