Whiskey: A U.S. coup

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Clay Risen in The New York Times. Recently, an American single-malt whiskey bested Scotland’s finest in a blind taste test by a panel of British experts. U.S. craft distillers once were “all about corn and rye,” but they’re now applying relentless creativity to getting the most out of malted barley, and the world is taking notice.

Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky ($65). The taste-test winner is “spicy and aggressive, full of rich, dark fruit flavors.”

Hudson Single Malt Whiskey ($44). This New York state product offers a peppery nose and “a touch of vanilla on the palate.”

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McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey ($55). Distiller Steve McCarthy draws his inspiration from 16-year-old Lagavulin.