Five Whiskeys for the Last Days of Winter

Take advantage of the last days of winter with these big, bold, and smoky whiskeys.
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No bones about it: Winter is whiskey season. Sure, you can drink whiskey any time of year, but there are some styles that just taste better when the weather outside is frightful. And while we’re looking forward to the warmer days of spring, that means there are only so many days left to enjoy the premiere whiskey-drinking season of the year.

So, in the next few weeks, we’ll be ticking off those spicy, smoky, big-bodied whiskies while we still have the chance—with one eye on the coming days of spring. Here’s what to drink while showing winter the door.

Bowmore 12-Year-OldThis classic Islay single malt delivers that canonical maritime peat flavor profile all wrapped up in a rich robe of toffee and oak. Yet there’s a lightness to Bowmore that hints at warmer days ahead, perceptible as a gentle note of raspberry and fig in the mid-palate.

Kilchoman 100% IslayKilchoman’s true farm whisky, 100% Islay is made from barley grown on Islay and malted, distilled, and aged at the Kilchoman distillery. It’s modestly peated and sensitively matured, allowing the crisp, lemony components of Kilchoman’s distillery character to shine.

Corsair Triple SmokeIf you can’t light a roaring fire, Corsair’s Triple Smoke is the next-best thing. Made with a combination of cherrywood, peat, and beechwood smoked malt, this is a pungently smoky dram, with plenty of sweetness to balance the intensity.

Stagg Jr.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/stags+j+r+barrel+straight+bourbon+whisky+kentucky+usa/1/usa?referring_site=TWW

Banish any lingering chills with Stagg Jr., the younger, easier-to-find sibling of George T. Stagg. It’s no less bombastic, though. This is uncut, unfiltered bourbon with a lush brown sugar sweetness and a fruity, spicy finish.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon

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Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon

Drinking Texas whiskey can feel like drinking bottled heat, it’s so dark, dense, and extractive. Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon is some of the most satisfying Texas whiskey around, with an inky color and deep flavor of oak, molasses, and char.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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