Banter

Double Gold / Double Blind: Results From Our Annual Blind Tasting

For the past 3 years, my friend Andy and I have helped curate and host a Spring blind whiskey tasting at Spirit World in Omaha. Laurie Hellbush loves her whiskey customers and she is kind enough to allow us to curate some fun experiments for them.

Indian Whisky Reviews

Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky Review

Don’t let the double-cereal punch from the tasting notes throw you off: this entry-level offering from Amrut was my first taste of Indian whisky and I’ve found myself returning to it over the years even as I’ve branched out and tried more premium labels.

Banter

Farewell To A Bourbon Brother

Several years ago, back when we first started Bourbon & Banter, I introduced a feature on the site called the “Member Spotlight.” It was a way for me to introduce some of the bourbon friends I had met along my bourbon journey and invite others to connect with them as well.

Banter

Bourbon & Banter with Branford Marsalis

In the summer of 1987, my cousin Joe took me to the Newport Jazz Festival at the Fingerlakes in upstate New York. It was there he introduced me to the music of Branford Marsalis. I was mesmerized and thus began a lifelong appreciation of Marsalis’s music and his commentary.

Bourbon News

Four Roses Bourbon Blooms as the Official Bourbon of the Rose Bowl Stadium

Four Roses has become the Official Bourbon Partner of the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Short Mountain Distillery Bourbon Review

This is a true craft distillery putting out a unique product in very limited quantities. I’m not sure what Short Mountain is trying to accomplish with their whiskey, though.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B519 Review

This is an all-around solid whiskey that won’t disappoint. But to violate an iron-clad rule of multi-sibling parenting, I’m saying its older brother, A119, this year’s first ECBP release, is better in every respect. A119 is headed for Harvard while B519 is good state school material.

Tequila Reviews

13 Tequilas You Need To Try

The New Hampshire State Liquor Commission regulates the sale of alcohol in the state of New Hampshire. New Hampshire is one of 18 control states in the nation where the government directly controls the distribution of alcoholic beverages as well as being responsible for their regulation.

Bourbon News

Bardstown Bourbon Company Releases Its First Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo), 1500 Parkway Drive, is announcing the release of its first Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #1.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A119 Review

At a dinner to meet Heaven Hill’s new master distiller, Colin O’Driscoll, my Bourbon & Banter colleague Matt Evans took one sniff and pronounced it a “chocolate bomb.” That was dead on.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Ragged Branch Double Oaked Wheated Bourbon Review

Ragged Branch started distilling bourbon in 2014 under the tutelage of the late Dave Pickerell. One of Pickerell’s suggestions was to mature some of the first batches of bourbon in 25 gallon barrels to age it faster and enable it to get to market a little after 2 years.

Gin Reviews

Copper & Kings American Dry Gin Review

To me, summer is gin season. There is nothing like a tall, ice-cold gin and tonic on a hot, humid day. The botanicals bring a brightness to the palate that provide just as much of a cooling sensation as the ice.

Bourbon News

Rebel Yell Launches New Variant

Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon has a new look for its brand lineup. The updated packaging reinforces the brand’s rebellious spirit and elevates the brand’s look, bridging the gap between its proud heritage and modern tastes.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bower Hill Bourbon Reviews

Bower Hill is a bourbon brand that was started by Carl Brown and Kevin Clang in 2015. Carl and Kevin were nice enough to devote some time out of their schedule to chat with me about Bower Hill. Needless to say I had a lot of questions.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Four Gate Whiskey Company Bourbon Batch 1, The Kelvin Collaboration Review

First thing – I really love the nose on this whiskey. It’s full of sherry, golden fruit and cooked plums – delicious. If I had to make a purchase decision on the nose alone I would buy this all day long.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Four Roses Small Batch Select Review

When I first received the press release announcing the upcoming release of Four Roses Small Batch Select, I was a bit hesitant to get my hopes up. Four Roses does a great job with their regular lineup and limited releases so I was concerned that a new expression, slated to be part of the regular lin

On The Road

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

The distillery is located on Main Street in Old Town Purcellville (every place has an Old Town, right?), in an old Buick Showroom dating back to 1921. Owned by husband and wife, Scott and Becky Harris, they celebrated their 10th year in business in Mid-February.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Black Skimmer Bourbon Review

Everyone is new at some point. When new whiskey brands come about, they have two choices: Source a whiskey now so you have something to sell (and help pay off the cost of the still), or distill now and sit on the product while it ages, and not recoup any money in the meantime.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond 13 Year Bourbon Review

I’m among the many saddened by the disappearance of the 4-year-old Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond during 2017. Like most BIBs, it was a terrific bargain, a great sipper and one of my favorite cocktailers for recipes with citrus (think Gold Rush).

Bourbon News

Four Gate Whiskey Company Launches Small Batch Bourbon Brand

This April, Four Gate Whiskey Company will launch its very first variety of Kentucky Bourbon.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Riptide Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Review

There isn’t a glut of cask strength ryes out there and Riptide is an interesting addition to the category. You aren’t going to confuse it with Thomas H. Handy or Kentucky Owl. It tastes young, because it is. The intent was to showcase the rye flavor, not overwhelm it with oak.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Wilderness Trail Settlers Select Rye Review

In a field of what ended up being six rye whiskies, two stood out above the rest. The ultimate winner was Booker’s Rye, currently an $850 bottle. The consensus runner-up was a 3-year rye from a then-relatively unknown new distillery called “Wilderness Trail”.

Banter

Bourbon, Banter & Jazz with Sean Jones

A friend of mine recently told a group of musicians “you never know how you touch people.” That’s often the case with musicians, especially jazz musicians. They communicate to the listener on a very intimate level, especially those that play in small clubs.

Banter

Introducing the Whiskey Review Hall of Fame

Anyone who’s been drinking whiskey for the last few years knows that the industry has gotten out of control.

Events

What to Taste at WhiskyFest 2019

It has been too long since I have written anything for Bourbon & Banter and it has been way, way too long since I have attended Whiskyfest. I am excited to correct both of these oversights this week.