Stone walls don’t typically make promises, but the historic facade of Jean Bonnet Tavern in Bedford, Pennsylvania, silently guarantees something extraordinary awaits inside.

With American whiskey sales cooling and Suntory Global reeling from sudden upheaval, Knob Creek’s landmark bourbon offers much-needed excitement for the category.

Few travel moments rival that first encounter with a new city — the instant when its sounds, scents and pulse begin to unfold ...