Banter Is Bourbon Broken? Part 2 – The Secondary Problem If you really have to have that bottle, you’re forced to buy it on the secondary market. That is when you are at the mercy of the hype train. People are paying 4-8x retail for $30 bottles? Are you kidding me? That’s insane to me.
Industry News SAP56 Canadian Maple Whisky Honors Maker’s Heritage and Taste Memories SAP56 references the 56 days required to harvest and process pure maple sap into a Grade A syrup. (I repeat myself: syrup making is work! Think about that the next time you wince at paying high prices for a bottle of such deliciousness.)
Banter Is Bourbon Broken? Part 1 – The Consumer Problem I’ve been into bourbon for about 25 years now. It started with drinking Woodford Reserve on the rocks. Now I pretty much only drink it neat. The only real exception to this is if it’s a hot day and I’m relaxing by a pool, then I probably have a Kentucky Mule.
Irish Whiskey Reviews The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Review You may have read my review of the 5-year offering from The Dublin Liberties, Oak Devil, and seen that I did not recommend it very highly (mostly as a result of it being overpriced for what it is). I don’t believe that to be the case here with Copper Alley. Read on to see why!
Irish Whiskey Reviews The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil Review I really enjoy Irish Whiskey and put them into roughly two categories where value is concerned. One of them is the cheaper, for mixing and the other is complex for sipping.
Japanese Whisky Reviews Kamiki Japanese Cedar Cask Finished Whisky This whisky has an interesting story, going through a secondary aging in Japanese cedar, honoring the Omiwa Shrine at the food of Mount Miwa. The name means God Breath, inspired by the breezes coming from the Mountain of the God.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Chicken Cock 15 Year Old Barrel Proof Bourbon Review This is a swell whiskey. It’s balanced, bold—even muscular—and pretty much what a properly aged 15-year-old bourbon should taste like. Some sourced whiskey shows the talent or luck of the barrel hunter, so let’s call Grain & Barrel Spirits’ master distiller Gregg Snyder talented.
Podcast How Much Is That Tube In The Window? – Bourbon Podcast #12 The 12th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – How Much Is That Tube In The Window? – is now available for your listening (and drinking) pleasure. Sit back, grab a pour, and join us in celebrating a year of the most honest podcast in bourbon.
Bourbon News Maker’s Mark Unveils 2021 Limited Edition Wood Finishing Series Bourbons Maker’s Mark® today announced the latest entry in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series with the launch of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 Limited Release: FAE-01.
Cocktails Introducing the “It’s 5 O’Clock Here” Cocktail Video Series One evening in late March, I made my partner a Manhattan and myself an Old Fashioned and for whatever reason, I decided to film it and post it on Instagram. The reception was better than I expected, so I filmed step-by-step recipes and educational mixology sessions with some frequency.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews KO Distiller’s Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review This was a pleasant surprise. I have had the opportunity to try a number of KO Distilling whiskies including their Cask Strength Offerings at 120 proof and at least 3 years in age. I found them very hot and a good bit of youth showing through. The Distiller’s Reserve is a different story, however.
Blended Whiskey Reviews Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve Review The nose says, “Whiskey;” the palate says, “Bourbon;” the finish says, “Rye.” I like whiskeys that take you on a journey from the nose to the finish. As a blend, Manchester Reserve takes you on less of a journey and more around some sharp turns.
Japanese Whisky Reviews Umiki Japanese Whisky Review I can’t say I was really looking forward to this whisky, so I was surprised to find how much I really like it. It drinks a bit hotter than it’s 92 proof, but just a drop of water affects that nicely.
Banter Woodford Reserve’s “200 Flavors” Claim Challenged, Recount Underway Woodford Reserve’s “200 Flavors” Claim Challenged, Recount Underway In what sounds like incredibly ironic timing, Brown Forman is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission for its claim that there are more than 200 flavors to be discovered in a bottle of Woodford Reserve.
Scotch Whisky Reviews BenRiach The Original Twelve Review I’ve had a hard time remembering a time when my tasting notes differed so widely from the brand’s own for a bottle I actually liked (usually when the difference is this great, it’s a dumpster fire).
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review Despite the inviting nose—which revealed layer after incredible layer of aromas the longer it rested—whiskey is for drinking, and that effort ended the fun for me. I get that others like some of these extra-long-aged bourbons; in fact, I appreciate it.
Scotch Whisky Reviews Benriach The Smoky Twelve Review If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely seen this bottle in the #3 spot of the Whisky Advocate Top 20 Whiskies of 2020 list and have come to Bourbon & Banter as your one-stop-shop for some honest feedback. Here’s what I’ll tell you:
Banter It’s Not The Destination But The (#DrinkCurious) Journey On February 7th, it will be five years since my first article appeared in Bourbon & Banter. And on February 9th I will be 68 years old. Quite the journey so far.
Scotch Whisky Reviews Benriach The Smoky Ten Review With all the press that The Smoky Twelve has been getting recently, I was anxious to find out if The Smoky Ten (which comes in 10 dollars cheaper) is as solid an offering from Benriach. If you’re making a lists of ‘Best Value Whiskies of 2020’ this deserves on a spot on it.
Banter Is This Whiskey Worth This Price? We’re at the point in the whiskey boom where everyone not asking these types of questions are successful chemists. Conveniently, they’ve also obtained degrees in immunology and constitutional law. A handful has even successfully schooled TTB agents on how to do their jobs.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Wolf Moon Bourbon Review It isn’t harsh, which is good for a 4 year old, but that’s likely due to the low proof. Wolf Moon is best suited for sipping while hanging around and burning it down, and you don’t want to sip on any Jack Daniels.
Scotch Whisky Reviews BenRiach The Original Ten Review If you’re familiar with Speyside scotches, imagine paying 8 extra bucks for a slightly more bold Glenmorangie 10. That’s how I would describe this single malt. That being said, I prefer this bottle from Benriach to it for a couple reasons.
Podcast Texas Redemption – Bourbon Podcast #11 The 11th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Texas Redemption – is now available for your listening (and drinking) pleasure. After almost a year, we hit a first for the B&B Podcast, but you’ll have to listen to find out what that is.
American Whiskey Reviews Blackened American Whiskey Cask Strength Review Holy shit, this stuff doesn’t suck! If you’re a listener of the Bourbon & Banter Podcast, you know that I have very little tolerance for celebrity whiskeys & ZERO tolerance for marketing bullshit, particularly when it comes to barrels being “sonically enhanced.”
Podcast And the Award Goes To – Bourbon Podcast #10 The 10th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – And the Award Goes To… – is now available for your listening (and drinking) pleasure. Hit the restart button on 2021 by joining us for a super-sized episode complete with everything you need to #DrinkCurious.
