Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bardstown Bourbon Company Phifer Pavitt Reserve Collaborative Series #1 Review

Overall, I am big fan of finished “bourbons.” I will admit that before tasting this, I have paid $125 for a 10-year MGP bourbon finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for 6 months finished and bottled from a place in California. It is very, very good.

Bottled Cocktails

Stolen X Rock & Rye Review

I am always wary of any brands that market themselves as being best as a shot (aka: reducing the time you have to actually taste it). Liquors that are designed to have as little booze flavor as possible to minimize the displeasure of delivering alcohol quickly to the blood stream are all the same.

On The Road

Davis Valley Distillery

Back in late 2000, Rusty Cox, a life-long Virginia resident, began planting vineyards with his wife, Ruth Rhea. When the first grapes were harvested, they started making wines. Many of their wines became award winners, including a revered Davis Valley Cab Franc.

American Whiskey Reviews

Rolling Standard Midwestern Four-Grain Whiskey Review

Rolling Standard Midwestern Four-Grain Whiskey is a very interesting approach to creating a four-grain.

Tequila Reviews

Ilegal Mezcal Añejo Review

I’m going to be really transparent here and state that I have never been a tequila fan. I’d tried several tequilas over the years, but found them all to have a bite to them I didn’t care for, including some I was told were fairly high end.

Gin Reviews

Waterloo Antique Gin Review

I am Whiskeyfellow. I am not Ginfellow, and despite the fact that, at the time of this review, there are two hilarious videos of me drinking Malort, I am most definitely not Malortfellow. I review whiskey, it is what I know, it is what I enjoy, and it is my niche. However...

Bourbon News

Announcing Wyoming Whiskey Announces Limited Edition Statesman Bourbon

Wyoming Whiskey pays tribute to Clifford P. Hansen, one of the most iconic figures in Wyoming’s history with Statesman, a limited release bourbon coming to liquor stores across the state of Wyoming on July 1, 2019.

American Whiskey Reviews

David James Bourbon and American Whiskey Review

David James Spirits, out of Kentucky, is seemingly in that awkward adolescent phase that a lot of craft distillers must go through and we had very different reactions to their two current offerings!

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bardstown Bourbon Company: Fusion Series #1 Review

The Bardstown Bourbon Company bills themselves as the first Napa Valley style destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #1 represents the distillery’s first Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and is a collaboration of their distillery, beverage and culinary teams.

Cocktails

Vermouth Routin Original Rouge: Your Cocktail’s Next Best Friend

know you came here to read about whiskey but when discussing whiskey-based cocktails the lead spirit isn’t always the most important player. This is never truer than when discussing Vermouth. The type of Vermouth you use in a cocktail can either sink it into disaster or elevate it to greatness.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Review

It seemed that much of my 2018 involved barrel-finished whiskeys. Scotch, Bourbon, Rye or Irish – all of it jumped out at me.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Blood Oath Pact 5 Bourbon Review

Five years into this expression’s existence, and I still look forward to year’s release. I love how John Rempe and the folks at Lux Row Distillers work hard to put something new and creative out each year.

Indian Whisky Reviews

Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky Dual Review

Prior to being sent these two bottles to review, I had tasted the Paul John’s Brilliance before, but never had their peated offering, Bold. Read on to see how they compared and what I'd recommend for you.

American Whiskey Reviews

Rush Creek Distilling Trophy Whiskey Review

I had the opportunity in February to meet up with the folks at Rush Creek Distilling at Distill America in Madison. I was intrigued by what they had to offer and was interested in learning more.

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.