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.

Cocktails

Bourbon Cocktails to Keep You Warm During Fall

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for an excuse to pop open a bottle of Woodford Reserve and enjoy a smooth glass. While I personally believe my beloved Kentucky bourbon tastes best neat, I’m also the kind of person that loves to experiment in the kitchen.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 16 Year Old Review

With a Straight Kentucky Bourbon label and a 16 year age statement, the latest release from Jefferson’s is sourced from one of Kentucky’s bigger, established distilleries.

American Whiskey Reviews

StilL 630 Experimental Collection Release #4

StilL 630’s Experimental Collection Release #4 gets the video review treatment today. The X-4 is a departure from the previous releases which were all single malts.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Collabor&tion Bourbon Review

This is not as egregious a marketing scam as Diageo’s Whoop & Holler but it’s in the same over-priced and under-performing class.

Cocktails

Starry Wisdom: The Bourbon Lover’s Halloween Cocktail

While visiting Lexington, KY recently, I had the pleasure of stopping into the West Main Crafting Co., a fresh new addition to the Bluegrass cocktail scene. The drink menu is gorgeous and is presented in a beautiful, bound book with vivid photos of each creation.

Banter

Up the Ante of Your Next Card Party

Card parties are still a thing and are as popular as ever. Whether you’re hosting one to visit with friends, eat great food and enjoy great drinks in the comfort of your own home, themed card parties are all the rage right now, so power up your typical night of playing cards with a little bourbon.

On The Road

Bourbon & Banter 5th Anniversary Bourbon Pilgrimage

Today is the day. I’m hitting the road early this morning, along with half of the Bourbon & Banter team, on my way to Louisville to celebrate Bourbon & Banter’s 5th anniversary.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Ragged Branch Distillery – Part 2

Ragged Branch Distillery presently produces two types of bourbon. One is a wheat mash bill, and the other is a rye mash bill. The Master Distiller at Ragged Branch is Dave Pickerell, the former Master Distiller at Makers Mark.

Distilleries

Ragged Branch Distillery – Part 1

“Ready to taste some bourbon?” This is the greeting we received from Alex Toomy, Founder and Managing Partner of Ragged Branch Distillery as we entered the tasting room at the distillery. And never one to turn down a bourbon tasting, I said yes.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Wine Cask Blend Review

Before even opening the bottle, based on visuals alone, I was anticipating a much sweeter profile. Maybe it was the pink coloring of the label, or the prominent “Wine Cask Blend” (also written in red lettering) that threw me off.

Banter

You Need to Meet…The Smooth Draws Radio Show

It was a particularly enjoyable time for me a few weeks back when two of my worlds collided during a Saturday afternoon live broadcast of the Smooth Draws Radio show.

Events

The Whiskey Affair London

“It’s like a beer festival…but with whiskey, and cocktails!” We’re heading to The Brewhouse for the first time with over 75 brands of scotch, bourbon and whiskey for you to fall in love with.

Banter

Reimagining Wild Turkey’s Ad Campaign

A few weeks ago, Wild Turkey/Campari released the second installment in the tenure of Matthew McConaughey’s Creative Directorship.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017 Review

While I don’t find this to be a bourbon that holds a lot of surprises, it delivers on all that it promises. The sugar on the nose sets you up nicely for the taste, and the sweetness on the finish that reminds me Bazooka bubble gum.

Banter

Bourbon Women

The phrase “women in x” is everywhere these days. Even though we’ve been around for, well, as long as men have, it seems that only recently people are taking notice of highlighting women in various industries.

American Whiskey Reviews

Old Baldy Batch 1 Review

Dave Perkins from High West once told me that whiskey drinkers want two things: (1) Something they’ve never had, and (2) Something they can’t get.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Kentucky Owl Rye Batch #1 Review

“This unique offering is produced from a collection of barrels blended and brought to proof to accentuate both the delicate profile and the full-flavored body of the whiskey.

Banter

#30DaysofBourbon In Review

September sure flew by fast. We’re at the end of Bourbon Heritage Month and my #30DaysofBourbon challenge. Honestly, when I invited folks to join in on the fun, I was completely unprepared for the participation rate.