Cigar Weekly Managing Editor Doug Kuebler (jazznut) opens the ‘whisky door’ for those new to the delights of this wonderful spirit.

May 4, 2015

The road to and through whisky (or whiskey, which is how most Irish and American distillers prefer to spell the word) is a voyage of discovery. For many, the journey never ends. Still, that first encounter with the ‘water of life’ can easily turn into an intimidating one – especially if prior experiences with alcoholic beverages have been limited to shooters, coolers and cocktails. As the late Michael Jackson, perhaps the preeminent beer and whisky writer of his time, once stated, “Some spirits are timorous, others feel the need for disguise, but whisky is bold and proud… It is not suitable for people who are afraid of their own shadow.” If you’re about to hit the whisky road, let me help you make that initial encounter the first of many pleasurable ones.

A Rich Pour 16: Measuring Up – Bourbon & Canadian Whisky Come of Age

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This article was originally published January 26, 2009 in the Cigar Weekly Magazine. It has been revised and updated.

One of the positive legacies of the period from Prohibition to the present day has to be the fascination of Americans and Canadians with each other’s whiskies. Canadian Club and Crown Royal owe much of their success to an incredibly receptive drinking clientele in the United States, its desires rooted in an era of efficacious smuggling channels and speakeasies. And although the Canadian market for Bourbon may not match its more southerly counterpart, countless measures of the American spirit have still been served in homes and watering holes from Vancouver to Saint John’s to White Horse, never mind occasionally incorporated into domestic liquors. The cachet of a beverage made elsewhere seems destined to please eager palates and blenders alike.

Join Cigar Weekly Managing Editor Doug Kuebler (jazznut) as he recounts highlights of a visit to the Isle of Mull in Scotland, and profiles the island’s sole malt whisky site, Tobermory Distillery.

March 16, 2015

The Isle of Mull lies off the western coast of the Scottish mainland, midway between its fellow Inner Hebridean islands of Jura and Islay to the south, and Skye to the north.

Although a commercial seaplane service provides direct flights from Glasgow to Mull, most visitors and locals avail themselves of the ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Join Cigar Weekly Managing Editor Doug Kuebler (jazznut) as he profiles one of Scotland’s quaintest malt whisky sites – the Oban Distillery.

Monday January 19, 2015

Oban (which is Gaelic for “little bay of caves”) is an attractive western Scotland community boasting a degree of frenzied activity, and a number of places of interest, that belie its relatively modest population. The town, known as the Gateway to the Isles, also plays a prominent role as a ferry terminus owing to its central coastal location and naturally sheltered bay.

I was born on Long Island, but my family moved to the Syracuse area in 1977 when I was seven years old. Because most of our relatives still lived on Long Island, my family would make several return trips a year, and we always stayed at Grams' and Gramps' house.

Grams and Gramps, my father's parents, owned a small Cape Cod that was worth way more than it should have been. Although the house was small, everything was always kept in immaculate condition - especially the landscaping.

There wasn’t a lot for us kids to do there, except to watch movies on Gramps' new Beta machine, which was followed by a VHS player. Gramps loved movies, a trait that certainly rubbed off on me.