It was quite an honor for Four Roses to have their 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon named the 2012 “American Whiskey of the Year” by Whisky Advocate. It also means expectations for this year’s release were set really high. So when I started hearing whispers and rumors about how great this year’s bottling was shaping up to be, I admit I started getting excited. After all, when you hear phrases like “best ever” from the Master Distiller himself it’s hard not to expect great things.
Jim Beam Signature Craft Bourbon Review
Earlier this summer Jim Beam was kind enough to send us samples of Jim Beam’s Signature Craft series featuring a 12 Year and a Rare Spanish Brandy bourbon. Scheduled to be released in August they asked if we would mind sampling them and sharing our thoughts with our readers. Never ones to turn down a request to enjoy bourbon we initially thought we’d do our standard review of each bourbon. However, after some internal discussion (and sampling of the product) we decided it would be more fun to invite local bourbon drinkers together for a blind tasting and video review of the bourbons. After a month of planning we finally made it happen this past weekend. Our tasting panel consisted of four St. Louis-based bourbon drinkers – all with varying levels of bourbon experience. Some have been drinking bourbon recreationally for over 30 years while others have just gotten into bourbon the last few years and are admittedly at the beginning of their personal bourbon journey. In short, it was a diverse group that resulted in some enjoyable banter about featured bourbons.
Stagg Jr. Bourbon Review
Two weeks ago Buffalo Trace formally announced the release of Stagg Jr. – an extension of their legendary George T. Stagg bourbon. As a huge George T. Stagg (“GTS”) fan I was both surprised and excited to hear about the pending release. It’s not everyday that a legendary bourbon that’s traditionally released once a year launches a line extension that should be more readily available. Even with all of my excitement I have to be honest that I head into my tasting with some concerns as well. More about those after we take a quick review of the original Stagg …
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Review
When I first started to explore the world of bourbon, I was so clueless the word novice wouldn’t even be appropriate. For example, one of the first bottles of bourbon I purchased was Wild Turkey Rare Breed……before I’d ever even tried 101 or any other Wild Turkey product! You could say I dove head first into bourbon. Fast-forward 5 years and Wild Turkey 101 is my go-to and Rare Breed is still in my top 3 or 4 bourbons. Seeing as how there wasn’t yet a review for Rare Breed on Bourbon & Banter, I decided to take a crack at it.
Mysterious Black & Gold Wax Maker’s Mark Bourbon Review
Kicking off the week with a unique guest blog post from Rush Thrift. Rush’s post is all about some of the rarer Maker’s Mark releases like the Limited Edition Green & Gold Wax bottles as well as the Select Black Wax bottle. It’s a long post that includes background information as well as two separate Maker’s Mark bourbon reviews. You might want to pour a big glass of bourbon and take your time with this one folks. Please let us know in the comments what you think about Rush’s efforts and if you’d like him to become a regular …
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon Review
At a suggested price of $49.99, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is roughly $25 more than the original Russell’s Reserve 10 year bourbon. That’s a pretty significant price difference if you compare the two by price only. I decided to sip them side-by-side and I’d choose the single barrel release every time. It’s has more complexity and depth than the 10 year. Honestly the 10 year comes across as rather flat in comparison and is full of oak and leather flavor without the sweetness of vanilla and caramel. I don’t think you can really compare them as a result of the significant difference in flavor profile. I do, however, feel that the Single Barrel is fairly priced for what you get out of the bottle when compared to other bottles in that price range.
Jefferson’s Bourbon Review – Presidential Select 21 Year Old
Almost a month ago, I posted news about Jefferson’s planned April 1st release of their new Presidential Select 21 Year Old bourbon. After waiting impatiently for weeks I was thrilled to arrive home a few nights ago to find a tasting sample nestled in the safety of a well-padded FedEx box. As I carefully removed the sample bottle all I could think about was whether or not the Presidential Select 21 would measure up to previous Presidential Select releases like their 17 and 18-year-olds which consisted of stock from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery. Here are a few details about this release that …
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Review
The weather in St. Louis this past week has been pretty crappy. Lot’s of ice and snow. Based on what I’ve heard about Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, I decided it might just be the perfect bourbon to review for the site and to fend off the cold Winter winds. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is the single barrel version of Beam’s Knob Creek bourbon, one of four Bourbons that makeup Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection. (Basil Hayden’s, Baker’s and Booker’s round out the Small Batch Collection.) Here’s what the Knob Creek website has to say about their single barrel version: …
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Review
Bulleit Bourbon has always been one of my favorites. It’s easy to drink, priced right and has a nice story surrounding the brand and its founder, Tom Bulleit. In fact, I like it so much that it’s one of the Bourbons I usually recommend to folks who are looking to try something beyond the “entry level” Maker’s Mark. The fact that you can’t walk into a bar these days without spying Bulleit’s distinctive frontier bottle is further proof that Bulleit Bourbon is a clear favorite among Bourbon drinkers.