Whisky Snobs of Lower MoCo

In this episode, the Whisky Snobs are joined by Evan, founder of Parhelia Spirits , a new independent bottler focused on releases that showcase unique and uncommon flavor profiles. Tune in to hear about Evan’s path from rum enthusiast to full-on spirits entrepreneur, and how his passion turned into a business—complete with the realities of sourcing barrels, navigating regulations, and building a b...

Join us for a comparative tasting of Johnnie Walker Black from two different eras — one bottled in the late 1980s and the other fresh from the shelf. We delve into the fascinating history of Johnnie Walker, established in 1820 by grocer John Walker, now the world’s highest-selling Scotch whisky blend, produced by Diageo with malt whiskies from notable distilleries like Clynelish, Cardhu, Glenkinch...

Join us for a vertical tasting of two expressions from the iconic Grand Old Parr brand – the 12-Year and 18-Year blended Scotch whiskies. We explore the rich history of Old Parr, and discuss the merits of blends versus single malts. Could Old Parr be a new go to rail whisky at the bar? Old Parr Tasting Details: 12-Year-Old: 40% ABV, $29.99 MSRP 18-Year-Old: 40% ABV, $69.99 MSRP Tune in as we take...

Join us on a journey through the haunted halls of history as we explore the legend of Castle’s Curse, the recent independent bottling of Teaninich from Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co. Castle’s Curse Details:  Aged 14 years in European oak 47.4% ABV (94.8 proof) $175 MSRP Tune in as we taste this rare release, reach tenuous agreement on the correct pronunciation of Teaninich, and unco...

Nick Offerman, much like his Parks and Recreation character Ron Swanson, loves his Lagavulin! So much so that Lagavulin partnered with Nick on a limited release series of Offerman branded expressions. The 2022 release presented a perfect opportunity to test Nick’s talent for picking whisky. Join us for a side-by-side tasting of Lagavulin’s three releases in the Offerman series:  Lagavulin 11...

Every year whisky writers and enthusiasts the world over taste, rate, and rank the year’s “best” releases. Taste may be subjective, but there’s no question that there were some exciting expressions released in 2022. Which ones should you spend your money on? Join us to find out, as we sample three noteworthy drams from Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskies of 2022 : #1 Jack Daniel's Bonded, 50.0% ABV...

Join the Whisky Snobs for a fun detour into another hidden gem of the spirits world -- Italian Amaro! Or at least Italian-style, as we toss several American variations into the mix as well. We explore the surprising variety of flavors and styles within this relatively small category, including a few ideal for cocktails and a few that are perfect over ice as an after-dinner digestivo. This episode’...

Join the Whisky Snobs for a fun detour into another hidden gem of the spirits world -- Italian Amaro!  Or at least Italian-style, as we toss several American variations into the mix as well.  We explore the surprising variety of flavors and styles within this relatively small category, including a few ideal for cocktails and a few that are perfect over ice as an after-dinner digestivo ....

Never mind the bollocks, get ready for anarchy in a bottle! Join the Snobs as we take on this year’s spiky new Ardbeg Day Committee Release, “Ardcore”, a hardcore 50.1% ABV mosh pit of flavor. Will we be Damned to another overhyped special release, and left feeling Exploited, or will we Jam with the roasted black malt spirit and keep this dram in our Stiff Little Fingers all night? Listen in to fi...

This isn’t your grandpa’s applejack! Join the Snobs as we explore the fascinating world of Calvados, an apple and pear brandy produced in Normandy. Calvados, a lesser known brandy cousin of Cognac and Armagnac, is made by distilling cider into an eau-de-vie, and then barrel aging. A versatile, complex spirit with a lengthy history, it deserves a closer look from spirits enthusiasts.   This episode...

This isn’t your grandpa’s applejack! Join the Snobs as we explore the fascinating world of Calvados, an apple and pear brandy produced in Normandy. Calvados, a lesser known brandy cousin of Cognac and Armagnac, is made by distilling cider into an eau-de-vie, and then barrel aging. A versatile, complex spirit with a lengthy history, it deserves a closer look from spirits enthusiasts.   This ep...

This spring, Ardbeg released the limited-edition Ardbeg Scorch. Whisky enthusiasts the world over have been "hot" to get a bottle of this smoke bomb aged in super charred ex-bourbon American oak casks. How does Ardbeg's latest release compare to early 90s distillate from Ardbeg's Allied years? Listen in and find out! This episode’s drams: Ardbeg Scorch Committee Release, 51.7% AB...

This spring, Ardbeg released the limited-edition Ardbeg Scorch. Whisky enthusiasts the world over have been "hot" to get a bottle of this smoke bomb aged in super charred ex-bourbon American oak casks. How does Ardbeg's latest release compare to early 90s distillate from Ardbeg's Allied years? Listen in and find out! This episode’s drams: Ardbeg Scorch Committee Release, 51.7% ABV Ardbeg Airigh Na...

It’s that time of the year again! As each year closes, whisky writers the world over taste, rate, and rank the prior year’s best releases. Taste may be subjective, but there’s no question that there were some exciting expressions released in 2020. Which ones should you spend your money on? Join us to find out, as we sample through these three notable drams from Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskies of...

The Whisky Snobs "sat down" with Jared Card, the Mid Atlantic Regional Sales Manager of ImpEx Beverages, for a socially-distanced interview and tasting. Jared is a mainstay of the DC-area whisky scene as he helps Impex distribute a wide range of top-notch global whiskies to the area, including Kilchoman, Port Askaig, GlenAllachie, Penderyn, Ohishi, M&H Distillery, and many more! In addition to...

In this episode, we test our palates in a head-to-head blind tasting of an ex-sherry whisky versus an ex-sherry with a touch of sulphur. To get our palates ready for some sherry, our sherry baseline for this tasting is none other than Aberlour A'Bunadh (Batch 57). Join us to see if we're able to correctly identify the sample with sulphur! We also discuss the quality-to-price ratio difference betwe...

We’re still social distancing but hey, it’s summer, so there’s no better time to try two fun new bourbons on the US market! We'll also talk about some tasty cocktails to help cool off this summer.  This episode's drams are: Fistful of Bourbon (45% ABV) Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #2 (49.45% ABV) As always, dram in good health!  #whiskysnobsoflowermoco #dramingoodhealth #socia...

As a famous movie star once quipped, "Age is just a number. It's totally irrelevant unless of course, you happen to be a bottle of [whisky]." We couldn't agree more! Age statements on whisky are more relevant than ever, especially as distilleries continue to increase the number of non-age stated (NAS) releases. But how does age correlate with quality, taste, and value? Join us as we tackle this to...

The interview with The Whisk(e)y Library continues! Join the Whisky Snobs of Lower Moco with our friends Brian Thompson and Tim Moll of The Whisk(e)y Library, a Washington DC-area organization dedicated to the education and enjoyment of our favorite spirit! Part 2 picks up right where we left off, with the second virtual tasting, featuring special releases by The Whisk(e)y Library from another loc...

The Whisky Snobs of Lower Moco conducted a two-part socially-distanced super-fun discussion with our friends Brian Thompson and Tim Moll of The Whisk(e)y Library, a Washington DC-area company dedicated to the education and enjoyment of our favorite spirit! In addition to a great discussion of The Whisk(e)y Library’s history and mission, we discussed the vibrancy of the DC-area whisk(e)y scene, fav...

We love trying whiskies being made all around the world, and in this episode, the Whisky Snobs (and special guest Chris) were together--before social distancing--to pour from a bottle of Israel’s first 5-year-old whisky. This bottle comes from the Golan Heights Distillery, a family-owned and operated craft distillery. This episode's drams: Golani Black, Aged 5 years, Cask #2 (60.4% ABV) Bonus Samp...

One big question on everyone’s mind is: how much longer will we be social distancing? The answer is a mystery . Do you know what else is a mystery? What the Whisky Snobs sampled in this episode! Join us for a “dram in the dark” as we critically assess nose, palate, and finish to try to identify the distillery and expression using only our five senses and whatever clues we can pry out of Jesse. Wit...

With Passover approaching and the Snobs still social distancing, we decided to record another remote episode, this time focused on Israel’s first whisky distillery, the Milk & Honey Distillery. For this episode, we tried the two new limited releases of Milk & Honey’s Whisky in Bloom Young Single Malt series: Milk & Honey Whisky in Bloom Double Cask (46% ABV) Milk & Honey Whisky in...

With social distancing in full swing, the Snobs get together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day the new-fashioned way... remotely! Join us as we taste through an eclectic selection of Irish whiskies: West Cork Glengariff Peat Charred Cask (43.0% ABV) Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey (42.0% ABV) Knappogue Castle 12-Year-Old Single Malt (43.0% ABV) Triple the whiskey, triple distilled, triple the...

The Whisky Snobs love Ardbeg's Annual Committee Releases! So why not review another one? In 2019, Ardbeg Drum was released among what seemed like a suddenly crowded field of rum finished Scotch, including Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask and Glenfiddich Fire & Cane, as well as other whiskies, like Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Finish and West Cork Rum Cask Finish 12 year old. Listen in to hear o...