Bottled Cocktails

High West Distillery Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail Review

Currently there are several bottled manhattans available on the market; High West has really put this one together well. All the right flavor components are there, and are well balanced.

Banter

7 Things Whiskey Reviewers Wish You Knew

Back in May of 2017, I wrote a piece called The Life and Times of Whiskey Reviewer. The purpose was to tell you what the four worst questions folks ask us and what’s going through our minds when you ask them.

Podcast

Texas Loses Again – Bourbon Podcast #9

Episode 9 of the official Bourbon & Banter podcast – Texas Loses Again – is now available for your listening pleasure. Episode 9 is the final episode of 2020 and formally brings our first year of podcasting to a close.

Bourbon News

Barton 1792 Distillery Debuts Thomas S. Moore Trio of Cask Finished Bourbons

Bardstown, Ky.-based Barton 1792 Distillery announced the release of its first ultra-premium brand, Thomas S. Moore Extended Cask Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The three-expression lineup is named in honor of Moore, who built the distillery known today as Barton 1792 Distillery.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Blue Run Bourbon Review

The price is a tough sell for me but the bourbon itself is exceptional. It certainly reminds me of one of my all-time favorite expressions (Elijah Craig) and when I had my boyfriend taste it he asked, “Is this Elijah Craig?”

Industry News

LEE Initiative Partners with Maker’s Mark® to Release “CommUNITY Batch” Bourbon

The LEE Initiative, in partnership with Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, today announced the launch of the limited-edition “CommUNITY Batch,” a special release bourbon created exclusively to support trade and hospitality partners across the country.

Bourbon News

Introducing Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Cornucopia Collaboration with Cleveland Whiskey

Bardstown Bourbon Company has announced a very limited release of their new Collaborative Series bottling with Cleveland Whiskey. Dubbed the “Cornucopia Collaboration,” bottles will be a distillery only release, available at 10am on Friday, November 27, 2020 at both BBC and Cleveland Whiskey.

American Whiskey Reviews

Little Book Chapter 4: “Lessons Honored” Review

Every Little Book release is, to my palate, unique and extraordinary. Fans will recognize they’re Beam whiskeys, but no standard Beam whiskeys.

Bourbon News

1995 Vintage O.F.C. Bourbon Whiskey Released

uffalo Trace is releasing a new O.F.C. Vintage bourbon this fall. In 1995, while Amazon sold its first book and and eBay made its debut as “AuctionWeb,” Buffalo Trace quietly distilled and tucked away its bourbon for 25 years, and now has something wonderful in store for bourbon connoisseurs.

Bourbon News

Expansion Coming Four Roses Distillery Visitor Center

Four Roses officials today announced plans for an expansion of the current visitor center and enhancements to the overall guest experience at the Bourbon distillery located in Lawrenceburg, Ky.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon Review

Don’t let Old Forester 150th Anniversary bourbon’s potent proof fool you, this bourbon can be rolled around the mouth and savored. The finish on it is beautiful, silken and long; it’s a real pleasure to drink. This is Old Forester at its purest, boldest, most enticing and exciting.

Banter

Jefferson’s Ocean Spray Bourbon Review

Jefferson’s has done it again and just in time for the holidays! Never was there a more perfect release that pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner. The gentle tartness of the palate will blend perfectly with the salinity of a well-brined turkey, and especially one with a crisp, fried skin.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Elk Wheated Bourbon Review

On the nose I’m getting light wheat grain and a lot of bubble gum. Not Trident or Hubba Bubba, but Topps baseball card gum. The gum that could also be used to shim an unlevel chair, that kind of gum.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Maker’s Mark 2020 Limited Edition Wood Finishing Series Review

The first time I and a friend cracked a bottle of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, he said, correctly, “This is what Maker’s Mark should have been all along. Why did they wait so long to release at this proof?” I agreed.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Review

I’ve had a lot of bourbon that has a great nose, then everything is downhill from there. This one is very much the opposite. The noise isn’t strong, and the notes I get aren’t ones that I gravitate towards usually. A bit of musty oak and leather, and a very slight hint of anise.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey Review

The first time I experience a new whiskey, I look for authenticity in the label and something other than creative writing and graphic design to justify the cost of a pour at a bar or the MSRP at a retail store.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Riverset Straight Rye Whiskey Review

The mashbill is misleading as 95% rye typically produces much more evergreen than sweet aromatics. The mouthfeel and sweetness causes this to drink much more like a bourbon than a rye. It’s more viscous and full-bodied than similar high rye whiskies.

Cocktails

Pratt Standard Cocktail Co. Old Fashioned Syrup

As a long-time DC denizen, I was thrilled to try a new product from a local, woman-owned business: Pratt Standard Cocktail Co. They focus on crafting Pre-Prohibition-style cocktail syrups (so don’t be mixing with any vodka!), hand-crafted right up the road from me in the Edgewood neighborhood of DC.

Banter

Introducing Jefferson’s Ocean “Spray” Voyage

Never one to miss an opportunity, word leaked recently that Jefferson’s is planning an extra special release of their popular Ocean series. This will be the first Voyage aged on traditional flatboats, and its location will make it an even more exclusive release than Jefferson’s Presidential series.

Cocktails

Snowy River Cocktails: Accessorize Your Cocktail

Snowy River Cocktails prides themselves on producing “an award-winning line of all-natural cocktail decorating products.” These products range from rimming salts and sugars, beverage colorings and flavors, cocktail glitter, and syrups.

Industry News

Kentucky Distilleries Fill Record Barrels In 2019 While Emptying Relatively Few

Distillery owners regularly describe whiskey making as a risky, long-term venture requiring patience and deep pockets. The purest proof of that truism can be found in Kentucky Department of Revenue numbers shared in October by the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA).

Podcast

Hipster In A Bottle – Bourbon Podcast #8

Episode 8 of the official Bourbon & Banter podcast – Hipster In A Bottle – is now available for your listening pleasure. In this episode we take a bit of time to discuss Bourbon & Banter’s plans for 2021 including some thoughts on how we’re going to reinvent bourbon reviews for the masses.

Rye Whiskey News

Baltimore Spirits Company Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

Baltimore Spirits Company (BSC) today announced to celebrate their fifth year of operation they will be releasing a special edition Bottled-in-Bond version of their flagship, award-winning Epoch Rye Whiskey.

Food

Grilling The Perfect Bourbon Steak

I like good steak, and I like good bourbon. I like good Scotch and rye, too, but steak and bourbon seem to go together so well that I decided to come up with a simple bourbon steak.

Banter

Whiskey Wisdom: Age & Price Can’t Beat Taste

I write this article with the full knowledge and understanding that I’ll probably piss off a lot of folks in the whiskey industry: anyone from distillers to marketing teams to distributors to retailers. However, what I’m suggesting is being said without malice.