Banter

Bourbon Beyond Borders

I reported to my current posting here at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, in mid-October of 2017…just in time for the annual Marine Ball.

Gin Reviews

St. George Terroir Gin Review

Let me just get this out in the open: I like gin. Like, really like gin. I come from a long line of Tanqueray drinkers. I love gin so much I named my Dungeons & Dragons character “Juniper.”

Banter

Blinded By The Hype

One of my least favorite things is what I like to call the “hype” formula. People go crazy over a bottle, which leads to other people going crazy over that bottle, and eventually, the hype gets to a level where everyone just runs out and buys that latest.

Banter

What should I really put next to my steak?

In the world of bourbon today, there are unfortunately many different characters that you may rather not associate with. The world is getting smaller thanks to social media, and there are seemingly more fans of good whiskey than ever before.

Banter

The Benevolent Basil Hayden

I was standing in an empty Kentucky Kroger parking lot as the sun was setting on Christmas Eve night five years ago, taking stock of my situation.

American Whiskey Reviews

STILL 630 EXPERIMENTAL COLLECTION RELEASE #6

Today we’re reviewing StilL 630’s Experimental Collection Release #6, a 100% applewood smoked single malt barley whiskey aged for 14 months. If you’re new to our journey we encourage to read our kick-off post about the Experimental Collection and Release #1.

Distilleries

1792 Barrel Select Pick

On a cold day in late January 2017, I was invited to participate in a private barrel select at Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Ky. The owner of Louisville Party Center, Jamie Masticola, was looking to stock his already impressive shelves with a store label expression of 1792 Full Proof.

Banter

Good-bye 2017 & Happy New Year!

As I sit down to write my year-end post I find myself a bit at a loss for the words to explain how I’m feeling about the closing of another year.

Banter

Brett Atlas’ Best of 2017

The most important thing I’ve learned in 2017 is that taste is an argument that cannot be won. You may find your friend’s wife annoying or ugly, but you’re not likely to express that on Twitter.

Banter

Help Wanted: Seeking Booze Evangelists Worldwide

As we head into 2018, Bourbon & Banter is excited one again post an open call for booze evangelists. If you’ve ever wanted to write for Bourbon & Banter or get your point of view heard by hundred’s of thousands of fellow booze aficionados, now’s your chance.

Banter

Retail Store Memberships: Good or Evil?

Liquor distribution in the United States is not right. Control states aside, the rest of the U.S. is subjected to monopolized and a bastardized remnant from Prohibition that is a pay-to-play system.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Isaac Bowman Port Finish Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

I am a big fan of the Bowman Distillery offerings so back in March when I saw they would be bringing out the Isaac Bowman Port Finished Bourbon I was very excited and bought a bottle the first day it was in the store.

Banter

A Bourbon Spouse’s Point of View

I’m going to be honest here. I am not a bourbon drinker. I stick to those girly drinks with umbrellas. I went along on the Bourbon & Banter 5th Anniversary event because I thought it would be fun and interesting.

Banter

Wild Turkey: The Best Private Barrel Pick Ever

Over the past decade of I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a part of nine different bourbon barrel pick trips. Some of my good fortune has been due to the relationships that I’ve developed, some have been due to me living in within a 2-hour drive of Louisville, and some has been just plain luck.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition Bourbon Review

Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a marriage of some of the finest hand-selected bourbon available, celebrates the return of Yellowstone to the family of Limestone Branch founders Steve and Paul Beam – and the many fine bourbons to come.

Banter

Bourbon Bunkers: Ideas For Storing Your Bourbon Collection

I began researching this post some time ago. By chance, the contributors to Bourbon and Banter were discussing where we store our pride and joy bourbon collection. I was surprised to hear the variety of choices used to store bourbon.

American Whiskey Reviews

STILL 630 EXPERIMENTAL COLLECTION RELEASE #5

StilL 630’s Experimental Collection Release #5 gets the video review treatment today. Join us as we taste the X-5 and learn why StilL 630 decided to include a 100% corn whiskey as part of their Experimental Collection.

Banter

Chasing Bourbon Unicorns

What are your top five unicorn bottles? First, let’s define a “unicorn.” A unicorn is a bottle that you have heard of but never seen. It’s not in a bar. It’s not on your Instagram feed. Your Google search is strangely unproductive.

Gear News

2017 Bourbon & Banter Holiday Gift Guide

It’s our favorite time of the year here at Bourbon & Banter! We love nothing more than getting together with family and friends during the holidays to enjoy some fantastic bourbon and banter.

On The Road

Sipping Bourbon at Four Roses

A quick history lesson before we dive into our visit. Four Roses was started in 1888. In 1943, when Seagram’s purchased the company, they decided to stop selling in the US market to focus on Europe and Asia.

Distilleries

Copper & Kings Distillery Tour

Arriving at Copper & Kings (read our previous review of the distillery) there is an impressive sense that this distillery seeks to be as much a destination as a working distillery.

On The Road

Kelvin Cooperage: The Best Damn Cooperage Tour Ever

Back in 1963, after completing his five-year apprenticeship, Ed McLaughlin started his cooperage. Kelvin Cooperage has been a family-run business ever since. It began on the banks of the River Kelvin in Glasgow, Scotland and now resides in Louisville, Kentucky.

Banter

Taste More, Listen Less

In a Louisville hotel room overlooking the Haymarket whiskey bar, my friend Brian had arranged something special. As I entered the room, I instantly spotted three rows of semi-filled glasses, each row dead-ending at an amber bottle marked with the letters ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z.’ “Oh, hell yes!”

Banter

100 Proof Bonded Weekend: A BIB Blind Tasting

It’s that time of year again. My annual guy’s weekend in the mountains of western North Carolina. If you read my post from last year, you may recall that a few of my buddies from Louisville and I make our way to Tuckasegee, N.C. each year for a weekend of bourbon, football, and grilling.

Irish Whiskey Reviews

Prizefight Irish Whiskey Review

I’m a fan of Irish whiskey and have slowly been adding those I enjoy to my library. When this bottle arrived, I was cautiously excited.