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.

American Whiskey Reviews

Broken Barrel California Oak Whiskey Review

On the initial nose, I would have assumed this was a pour of Brenne Whisky. Those French staves must be the culprit on the bubblegum nose on both products. On the initial palate, I would have assumed this was Traverse City American Cherry Whiskey.

Bourbon News

Jim Rutledge Launches New 13 Year Old Bourbon

An exquisitely crafted 13-year-old Bourbon associated with Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge is sure to garner attention in the whiskey world, but when matched with modern marketing and cutting-edge design from a Nike veteran, its appeal will stretch far beyond typical whiskey aficionados.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Rabbit Hole Cavehill 4-Grain Bourbon Review

This is a rebranding of the original Rabbit Hole Straight Kentucky Bourbon reviewed in 2018 by Matt Self and Pops (Rabbit Hole Bourbon Whiskey). A young bourbon without the complexity you would expect from the mash bill.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review (Fall 2020)

The Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a solid whiskey that Old Fitz fans and grain-forward whiskey fans will enjoy. Were this a wine review, I’d compliment its “structure” and uniformity for playing no tricks and not changing with long exposure.

American Whiskey Reviews

Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys Review

I have a goal of drinking a whiskey from every state in the union and so jumped at the chance to try this offering from Michigan. This first expression by Wonderland is a really interesting take on a blend in that each component is a straight whiskey and then those straight whiskies are blended.

Podcast

Booth Babes: Buh-Bye – Bourbon Podcast #7

Episode 7 of the official Bourbon & Banter podcast – Booth Babes: Buh-Bye – is now available for your listening pleasure. We’ve completed an amazing Bourbon Heritage Month celebration and our liver is trying to figure out what just happened.

Banter

Look at Me: The Private Barrel Sticker Craze

As I said earlier, custom stickers are a great way to capture and remember a barrel pick for years to come. It’s also a fun to express you or your group’s personality and creativity. And just like the whiskey in the barrel, people’s like or dislike of your label will be subjective.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Basil Hayden’s 10 Year Bourbon Review – 2020 Release

The initial mellow flavors hit on the traditional notes of caramel, vanilla, rye spice and oak but I found the taste thin and fleeting. After my initial tasting notes, I added a few drops of water (as per usual review practice) – this was a mistake; most flavors became non-existent and I felt like I

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

The Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

It’s that time of year again: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection season! Buffalo Trace just released this year’s lineup and the secondary market is already getting extra thirsty. Lines will be formed, lotteries entered, and many dollars shelled out.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Review

This is a decent rye that checks all the boxes required of an American rye whiskey, but it needs more time in the barrel to gain complexity and character to make it worth its $69 price.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review

This is a good but unremarkable bourbon. It is a pleasant, easy drinker that is best savored neat. Even a few drops of water softened it appreciably, making rocks pretty much out of the question. A cocktail? Not for me.

Bourbon News

Fistful of Bourbon Launches Nationally

It’s a hot day in the wild, wild west. A cowboy interrupts a duel to slather sunscreen all over his face, while questioning the whole idea of scheduling shootouts at high noon. Another cowboy compares a bourbon’s smoothness to the silk loungewear he has taken to wearing.