American Whisky

There’s a silence in the mountains that feels fuller than anything you’ll find in the city. Not emptier, not lonelier—just fuller. The kind of silence that contains things: possibility, peace, the crunch of snow under your boots, the clink of a glass just before you take a sip. It’s the kind of silence that makes you slow down, look up, and feel like you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. For me, that was drinking a glass of High West whiskey surrounded by the mountains. 

In this article, I look at two American whisky distilleries that are making waves. Westland from Seattle has created a name for itself making single malt whisky and Uncle Nearest that is currently valued at $900m having only been founded in 2017.

Nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania, Stoll and Wolfe was established in 2016 by Dick Stoll, a legendary figure in the whisky industry, and Avianna & Erik Wolfe. This partnership drew deep inspiration from the historic legacy of Pennsylvania distilling, a region once celebrated as the heart of American rye whisky. 

McTavish Spirits - The Warchief

A few weeks ago, I received an invitation for a one-on-one interview with Hollywood star Graham McTavish, to taste his new 7-year-old Bottled in Bond Bourbon, aptly named "McTavish - The Warchief" I approached the interview with a degree of scepticism, my past encounters with celebrity-endorsed spirits have left me under-impressed, given their tendency to prioritise branding over the quality of the whisky itself, often resulting in disappointment.

Gwalarn French Whisky

A Celtic Blend.

After creating two prestigious single malts (Kornog and Glann Ar Mor), Celtic Whisky Distillerie has developed its first blend, born from the blending of whiskies of Celtic origin. Like its single malt predecessors, this blend bears a Breton name that evokes its character, Gwalarn or “North-West Wind”. The French distillery in Côtes-d’Armor intends to bring a breath of fresh air to the world of blended whiskies.