Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon Review

The first question that came to my mind after reading the press release was how would this new expression differ from Jim Beam Black. Like the new Double Oak, Jim Beam Black shares the same mash bill as the original White Label, but it’s aged for almost twice as long.

Banter

More Than Just A Great Pour, Whiskey Has Always Held A Place In Our History And In Our Lives

A fire was sparked and a whiskey romance was rekindled. But let’s face it, the attraction has always been there, from as long ago as the 1700’s.

Gear News

2016 Bourbon & Banter Holiday Gift Guide

It’s hard to believe but it’s that time of year already. Yep, time to stock up on gear for your favorite bourbon lover – even if that bourbon lover is yourself. Take our advice and be generous to yourself this year.

Banter

What’s in the Decanter?

About two years ago, I was given a beautiful, hand-blown glass decanter from a family member as a gift. I placed the decanter on top of the whiskey cabinet, and for a while, it sat there empty. I wasn’t exactly sure what to put in it.

Flavored Whiskey Reviews

Cleveland Christmas Spice Flavored Bourbon Review

My phone was humming on the kitchen counter and calling for my attention. “Guess who’s at Walmart?” the voice on the other end of the line said dryly. “What?” I asked. The mobile signal was momentarily choppy. “Guess who I just saw here at Walmart?” “Who?” “You’ll never guess.”

Events

Find Us AT Whiskey In The Winter

If you’ll be at Whiskey in the Winter this weekend we’d love to meet you and enjoy a drink together. But we know some of you can be a bit shy – despite the presence of 300+ whiskeys.

Flavored Whiskey Reviews

Camp Robber Whiskeyjack Review

If you’re going to make decent whiskey, you need a lot of time. But time is money, and your whiskey is going to need years. So how does a distillery make money in the meantime? The answer is usually vodka and its juniper cousin gin.

Food

Sweet Potato Cornbread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Food is a way of life in the south, and looking at southern cookbooks, magazines, and television shows, one could easily assume our favorite part of the meal is dessert.

On The Road

Get To Know: Mint Julep Tours

As a frequent and enthusiastic visitor to the famed Bourbon Trail, I have had the opportunity to work with Mint Julep Tours, a tour company based in Louisville, KY that offers both custom and public bourbon distillery tours. I have used their services on four different occasions.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2016 Review

Here’s what I can add about the bourbon: It’s a limited annual release, effortlessly commanding more than double the $80 retail price in the gray market. These bottles make for a very popular birthday gift, both for drinking buddies and those who have had children in that particular year.

Banter

What Do You Look For In A Whiskey Review?

In four months, Bourbon & Banter will celebrate our 5th anniversary. Since launching in February 2011, we’ve drunk a lot of bourbon, made a ton of new friends and learned more than a few things about what makes a blog something people want to read day-after-day.

Banter

Blind Tasting: Non-Kentucky Brown Water

Recently five good buddies and I made our annual pilgrimage from Louisville, KY to the mountains of western North Carolina for our Fall weekend of The Man Trip Trinity: unabated football watching, bourbon drinking, and consumption of grilled dead animals.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Four Roses Showdown

Have you ever wondered how much difference there is between two barrels of bourbon with the same mash bill, yeast, age, and storing conditions? How about which of your local liquor stores do the best barrel picks?

Banter

Airtable – A Useful Way to Manage Your Burgeoning Liquor Collection

You’ve got neat glasses (even a NEAT glass), ice molds, boxes, bottle tags, maybe some tickets from your favorite distillery tours and pictures to go with them. A corner of the house is filled with whiskey bottles and all the accouterment that go with them.

Cocktails

2016 Cocktail Trends and Bourbon

The average bourbon connoisseur may be vaguely aware of the emergence of a number of trends in the world of craft cocktails. While the more sanguine amongst you may raise a weary eyebrow at the use of ‘artisanal’ ingredients, home-aging, or fancy garnishes and sparklers.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Review

Aside from constantly second guessing myself on the proper spelling, what’s not to love about a whisky crafted in the spirit of friendship? (“Cairdeas” literally means friendship in Gaelic).

Boozy Books

Tasting Whiskey: An Insider's Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World's Finest Spirits

Uncover the secrets of flavor creation, where the interplay of ingredients and diverse distilling techniques gives rise to distinct and remarkable tastes.

Gear News

Weller Stagg 2016 – Full Proof America

For any election to be fair there needs to be at least two viable parties. So when we learned that one of our very own Bourbon & Banter team members – Matt Evans – had launched a campaign for Evan Williams and Elijah Craig we knew that some order needed to be injected into the system.

Banter

Some Bottles Go To Heaven. Others Don’t.

You’ve poured yourself that last little bit of whiskey from the bottle. Now that you’ve savored that final drop, the empty bottle is standing on the table next to you. What do you do with it? Most people might look at the empty bottle and toss it in the trash.

Heads & Tails

Heads & Tails: The Bourbon & Rye 2016 Edition

Welcome to this week’s installment of Heads & Tails – The Bourbon & Rye 2016 Edition. It’s been a while since we’ve shared a Heads & Tails post since putting them on hold during Bourbon Heritage Month.

American Whiskey Reviews

Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey Review

Following in the footsteps of Michter’s, Willett and others, West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler Spirits built a cult following by sourcing some of the tastiest whiskey on the planet.

Banter

Bourbon & Rye 2016

We’re not very political here at Bourbon & Banter. But sometimes you have to say enough, is enough. This year’s elections have gotten out of control, and we’re pretty darn sure there’s only one way we’re going to survive the elections. Yep. We’re going to drink ourselves through them.

Cocktails

Bourbon & Ginger Cocktail Recipe

According to John Vickers-Smith, the Maker’s Mark “Distillery Diplomat” for the DC area, the Bourbon and Ginger was, in recent years, the most popular bourbon cocktail in DC. With an established and ever-expanding cocktail scene, this is unsurprising.

Gin Reviews

Through the Looking Glass: Tommyrotter Bourbon Barrel Gin Review

It should not be a surprise that I am primarily a bourbon guy, while I do enjoy gin on occasion. In fact, I was drinking gin before I started on bourbon. So began my tale of heading down the rabbit hole of craft gin.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon Review

At the stroke of midnight on January 17, 1920, it became a federal crime to manufacture, transport, and sell intoxicating liquors in the United States. The passage of the 18th Amendment and the subsequent Volstead Act shuttered many distilleries and put them out of business; many permanently.