Food

Bourbon and Charcuterie

I just got back from a great vacation and found that whiskey and charcuterie boards can be every bit as good as wine and charcuterie… and maybe better!

Banter

Bourbon & Banter Anniversary – 11+ Years And Counting

Eleven years ago today, I published the first post on Bourbon & Banter titled, “Welcome, Fellow Bourbon Lovers.” A mere seven months before, we started the Bourbon & Banter Facebook page, the first digital property associated with a bourbon club I started at work with a few colleagues.

Podcast

Bourbon…The BS Frontier – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #31

The 31st episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Bourbon…The BS Frontier - is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. It’s a new year, but we’re still bringing you the same brutally honest commentary on the bourbon and whiskey world.

Canadian Whisky Reviews

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye Whisky Review

Alberta Premium Cask Strength is a fine rye with a deep flavor and a very long finish. The color is tan but not too light and it has the long legs you would expect at the 127 proof.

Industry News

Buffalo Trace New Stillhouse Dedication and New Expanded Tours

Whiskey making will be at an all-time high at Buffalo Trace Distillery now that its new still house has officially been commissioned.  The new still stands 40 feet tall and can produce 60,000 gallons daily.

New Brand Releases

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey to Launch This Spring

Aged four years and bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV), Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey will be available nationwide starting in March at a suggested retail price of $54.99. Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey boasts a 100% barley malt mash bill.

Paid-members only

Barrel Pick Update

Ordering Now Open for Wyoming, Maker's & Traverse City Bottles

Podcast

Visiting Wyoming Whiskey – Bourbon & Banter Podcast Special Edition

Oh give us a home, where the buffalo roam, and the bourbon is flowing all daaaaay…. That’s right, folks, Pops and Steve Coomes were heard singing that very tune as they walked the grounds at Wyoming Whiskey.

American Whiskey Reviews

Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey Review

All in all I’d say Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey (named for the 13-thousand-foot peak in Aspen) marries “approachability” and “complexity” without sacrificing one for the other – an admirable feat in itself.

Podcast

Craft Shoot – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #30

The 30th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Craft Shoot – is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. It’s the holidays and apparently, we’ve pissed somebody off because we have not one, not two, but FIFTEEN CRAFT WHISKEYS we’re about to taste blind so you don’t have to.

Book Reviews

American Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Original Spirit Book Review

American Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Original Spirit could be a great stocking stuffer for the cocktail enthusiast or burgeoning whiskey devotee who is unfamiliar with the category and interested to gain a solid foothold.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Rye Whiskey Blend 001 Review

In Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Rye Blend 001 you’ll experience a pleasing ride with three different whiskey regions coming together in a masterful blend that deserves to be on the radar of rye enthusiasts everywhere.

American Single Malt

Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release Review

With the confusing news about Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled 2022 Special Release American Single Malt Whiskey, I got the distinct sense that Jack Daniel’s doesn’t know what they want to do with their single malt. After tasting this, I’m that much more convinced on the matter.

Boozy Books

American Rye: A Guide to the Nation's Original Spirit

Delving into the rich history of rye whiskey, Risen provides a detailed introduction that covers its distillation process, aging techniques, and the unique qualities that set it apart.

New Brand Releases

Heaven Hill Distillery Announces 2022 Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Edition Bottling

This edition consists of 67% 13-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that has been double barreled for four weeks and then blended post aging with 33% 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Paid-members only

Barrel Pick Update

KO Distilling Barrel Pick Update

Paid-members only

Barrel Pick Update

Wyoming Whiskey Barrel Update

American Single Malt

Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask Review

Marked by a lushness on the front end of the palate before the wine influence gives way to a tannic finish that keeps you reaching for more, there’s a lot to like about Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Pinot Noir Cask.

Paid-members only

BITB Club

Replay: BITB Live Tasting #2

Podcast

Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #29

The 29th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle – is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. The holidays are right around the corner, so we’re camped out at the pie table. Y

Banter

Wyoming Whiskey: Well Worth the Lone Prairie Journey

The discussion to create a distillery was born of Kate Mead’s pitch to her husband to build a winery. Her notion was, in common spouse-dismissal fashion, prompt and pointed. According to co-founder David DeFazio, “Brad thought she was crazy and told her, ‘No one grows grapes out here.’”

Irish Whiskey Reviews

Glendalough Mizunara-Finished Irish Whiskey Review

Mizunara-Finished Irish Whiskey is vivid, but delicate with seamless depth. It is vibrant, fruity, and floral on the nose, enjoying a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate orange, sandalwood, and cinnamon synonymous with Mizunara whiskeys.

Blended Whiskey Reviews

Du Nord Social Spirits Mixed Blood Whiskey Review

Du Nord Social Spirits Mixed Blood Whiskey started with rye grown by the neighbor of our co-founder’s family farm. To complement its spicy notes, we select whiskey barrels that deliver sweetness and depth. In the glass, it’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Old Potrero Rye Review

This is a unique rye. Old Portrero doesn’t have much of the typical spice on the palate that you can usually pick out from a Rye if you tasted it blind. At $65, you have for sure paid more for less.

Podcast

Jack Bourbon? – Bourbon & Banter Podcast #28

The 28th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Jack Bourbon? – is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. As you can tell from the title, this podcast addresses the most often-asked question in American whiskey. Bourbon Heritage Month has come to a close.