Rye Whiskey Reviews

Ragtime Rye Whiskey Review

Before I ever tried a single expression from New York Distilling Company, I was enamored with their bottle design and enchanted by the collective experience of their founders.

Bourbon News

Wyoming Whiskey releases National Parks No. 2

Wyoming Whiskey announces the release of its limited edition National Parks No. 2 straight bourbon whiskey in tandem with the brand’s continuing partnership with Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park.

Banter

RTD Cocktails Are Fine, But Not Yet Great

Such people are the ideal audience for ready to drink cocktails, a.k.a. RTDs. My friends enjoy variety in flavor and spirits, but more importantly, they like it delivered by someone else.

Podcast

Wind Beneath My Wings – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #25

The 25th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Wind Beneath My Wings – is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. No, we’re not channeling our inner Bette Midler. But we might be channeling some gas from all the bullshit we’ve consumed since our last episode.

Banter

O.H. Ingram Whiskey Proves River Aging Is a Delicious Thing

River barges don’t seem large until you’re about to enter one. The vessel before me is 200 feet long, 24 feet wide and 24 feet tall: not diminutive by any stretch. (That a barge pilot and towboat can link together 35 of these and squeeze the lot through a river canal lock is just beyond me.)

Paid-members only

Barrel Pick Update

2022 Four Roses Barrel Pick Results

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Michter’s 2022 US*1 Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey Review

Michter’s 2022 US*1 Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey is a great whiskey. Always has been and, hopefully, always will be when Michter’s own maturate from its Louisville plant is bottled in the future.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

New Riff Sherry Finished Malted Rye Whiskey Review

The success of New Riff’s 5-year Malted Rye release in 2021 gave its team an idea: Finish this vibrant whiskey in 12, custom-made 53-gallon oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks for a year, then vat the whiskey from each for another six months.

Banter

Jeff Arnett To Innovate with Finished Whiskeys at Company Distilling

Contrary to what some have suspected, Jeff Arnett didn’t leave because he disliked the master distiller’s post at Jack Daniel’s. Even after 12 years in the high-stress role as the person in charge of whiskey making at the world’s most prodigious whiskey plant.

Banter

BBC’s Nally ponders slowing down after 50 years in distilling

Seeing Steve Nally in a suit and tie is unusual. Six-foot-four and broad-shouldered, the master distiller at Bardstown Bourbon Co. (BBC) has as good a frame for fine couture as any 71 year old.

Podcast

The Bullshit Cometh – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #24

The 24th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – The Bullshit Cometh – is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. Having had a little time off, Pops and Bob return after being bombarded with bourbon bullshit over the last several weeks. So much so that this episode is dedicated spe

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon

Broken Barrel’s 95 proof straight bourbon continues the trend set by their 88 proof California Oak expression in that it has a nice blend of unexpected flavors in concert with classic bourbon notes.

Bourbon News

HEAVEN HILL TO BUILD $135 MILLION DISTILLERY IN BARDSTOWN

Bardstown, Ky.-based Heaven Hill Distilleries announced it will spend $135 million to begin construction on a new distillery there this spring. According to a news release, construction of the plant is expected to conclude in late 2024.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Broken Barrel California Oak Review

Broken Barrel California Oak isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel with their lowest proof offering, but it is making a strong case that young whiskey can be elevated with the addition of staves.

Food Stuff Reviews

Does SOBAR really help slow alcohol absorption?

Does SOBAR really help slow alcohol absorption? After writing a commentary about drinking less in 2022, I received an email from a representative of SOBAR, a producer of what the company calls, “The snack designed for drinking.”

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Wheel Horse Bourbon Review (Batch 2)

I was immediately struck by how fruit-forward this bourbon is, as the raspberry and plum notes are prominent despite it being a relatively young whiskey. Caramelized sugar and a strong black pepper influence makes for a medley of alluring aromas that slightly outperform the palate, but it tastes goo

On The Road

Whiskey Tourism To Make A Profitable Footprint In Townsend, Tenn

Townsend, Tenn., markets itself as “the peaceful side of the Smokies,” and indeed, it’s quieter than the fabricated expanse of Pigeon Forge and the din of crowded Gatlinburg. Townsend has the feel of a village scattered in plots over a several-mile stretch of Hwy. 321.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Barrell Gold Label Bourbon Review

This bottle immediately comes with so many expectations that it’s hard to judge it fairly. Tasted blind, this is an excellent bourbon that balances the strong Kentucky and Indiana bourbon profiles while deftly relegating the overly distinct Tennessee whiskey notes to a supporting role.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

American Highway Reserve Bourbon Review

When it comes to American Highway Reserve, despite some older whiskey in this blend, it all smells young: new wood, green apple, cooked corn, dried rye and ethanol. Initially, the aroma is faint, but a few vigorous swirls moves it from non-existent to hot in the nostrils; from “Is anybody home?” to

Bourbon News

CASTLE & KEY PREPARES FOR LARGE CROWD ON BOURBON RELEASE DAY

On Saturday, March 26, Castle & Key Distillery will release Batch 1 of its first bourbon, a much-anticipated 4-year-old sweet-mash spirit. As head blender for the distillery, Connors is concerned about the crowd expected at the historic Old Taylor site in Millville, Ky.

Cocktails

In Defense of the Espresso Martini

Every year, it seems another cocktail is the target of inexplicable ire and intense kvetching by both the press and certain bartenders. In 2019, the Aperol Spritz found a laser sight on itself, being called “not a good drink” by the New York Times.

Banter

OH, BROTHER! TALES OF THE COCKTAIL ADDS NEW SPIRITS COMPETITION

Drinkers need another spirits competition to tell them what to buy about as much as spirits makers need these medal-fests to tell them their products are great. Yet despite having several of these competitions annually, we’re getting another.

Indian Whisky Reviews

Rampur Asava Whisky Review

I find the nose to be lovely on this single malt. The fruity notes I discussed in my review of Rampur Double Cask are there but this time they’re joined with juicy aromas from the wine cask finishing.

Heads & Tails

HEADS & TAILS: ST. PADDY’S DAY ’22 EDITION

Drink up, lads and lasses! It’s St. Patrick’s Day! (Well, it’s a workday, too, so perhaps you should obey that directive after 5 p.m.) If you’re compelled to drink some Irish whiskey today, why not have it in the most classic of all Irish drinks.

Banter

Bourbon Crusaders & STRAW Announce Four Horsemen Kentucky Straight Bourbon

As first reported in Episode 23 of the Bourbon & Banter Podcast, the Bourbon Crusaders are partnering with the Society for Transparency in American Whiskey (STRAW) for a release that can only be described as a bourbon nerds dream. Fred Noe, Jimmy Russell, Jim Rutledge & Chris Morris got together.