Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Blood Oath Pact 3 Review

It’s been a lot of fun watching Blood Oath progress through the years with each new Pact release. I prefer Pact 2’s nose compared to Pact 3’s with it’s creamier and heavy traditional bourbon notes that I enjoy.

Banter

The Best Mint Julep…. Ever

Now, I have had some good mint juleps. Most notably, one made by New Orleans bartender Abigail Gullo of Compere Lapin restaurant and formerly of Sobou, who in 2016 won the Bartender of the Year award, in a contest sponsored by Heaven Hill Distillery in Puerto Rico.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Hunter’s Select Barrel Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey

While the name Hunter’s Select Barrel Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey may be confusing, this is a bourbon made in Tennessee and NOT a Tennessee whiskey. It has not gone through the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering before aging.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Speyburn 10 Years Old Whisky Review

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about Speyburn due to the price point, but over the years I have learned not to judge a whisky based on price alone. Not having tasted a Speyburn prior to this review, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

Tequila Reviews

9 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.

Distilleries

You Need to Meet… Michael Myers at Distillery 291

It’s hard to draw any other conclusion after hearing Michael Myers’ incredible journey from New York photographer to the founder of one of the most decorated craft distillers in the world, Colorado Springs’ Distillery 291.

Banter

Of Dusty Cowboys, Back Room Shenanigans, and Polish Weddings: Shots All Around

It happens enough that I would say it qualifies as some tradition, a way of closing the deal, showing mutual support, friendship or possibly a partnership. I’m talking about the mutual downing of a classic, small, jigger of bourbon.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

TX Straight Bourbon Review

The bottle says it has flavors of dark fruits, caramel, and vanilla. I picked up cherry, and that’s a dark fruit. I tried and tried to pick up caramel or vanilla, and it just isn’t there.

Events

2017 New Orleans Bourbon Festival Recap

Let’s get to the obvious reason why I wanted to go to The New Orleans Bourbon Festival, bourbon of course (and lots of it to be exact). 83 different kinds of bourbon were featured at this event.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

1792 Full Proof Bourbon Review

This has been out for a while, but I found one on the shelf in Virginia. I was disappointed in this bottling of 1792. I have had bottles of the Small Batch and Sweet Wheat and tasted the Single Barrel and Port Finish.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Lusty Claw Bourbon Review

The website calls this “Not only one of the world’s best bourbons, Lusty Claw is one of the World’s best whiskey’s”. What it should say is “We know the stuff in the bottle is terrible so we spent all of our money on a really cool bottle.”

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Ezra Brooks Rye Whiskey Review

A simple yet tasty whiskey. It’s one of the lightest whiskeys we’ve tried this year, but its fruit overtones make it interesting enough to finish a glass without any hesitation. However, its lack of depth will keep it from my regular rotation of whiskeys that I enjoy drinking neat.

Banter

Raw Bourbon: The Future of Bourbon Is Now

Raw Bourbon. That’s what it’s being called. Bourbon that comes straight from the barrel with no filtering of any kind. No chill filtering, no mesh filtering…nothing. Open up the bung and let the bourbon flow into the bottle.

Industry News

Buffalo Trace Distillery Experiments with 300-Year-Old Oak

As part of its latest endeavor in experimentation, Buffalo Trace Distillery is experimenting with barrels made of 300-year-old wood. This venture is one of many wood-specific experiments that the Distillery has led.

Cocktails

Aged & Infused Review

Ever get tired of plain old delicious whiskey? Me neither. But around here the motto is “Drink Curious” or as I like to say, “Try all the drinks.” Aged & Infused makes whiskey infusion kits.

American Whiskey Reviews

PENNA Dutch Malt Whiskey Review

The Pennsylvania Dutch came to America from Germany in the 17th century. This Dutch Malt Whiskey, made with traditional “Munich” style of malt, is a fitting tribute to those early pioneers whose rich traditions and enduring legacy still lives on today.

Banter

Bourbon In The Raw?

We shared this on photo on our social channels earlier this week but wanted to make sure all of our readers got a chance to check it out. We’ll be doing a full write-up and tasting notes next week but it’s just too funky not to share a photo in advance.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Whiskey Acres Rye Review

Even though this is a younger product, it’s a solid rye option. It stands up well on its own, and I would imagine that it would go great in a cocktail. The mint adds a unique layer to it, and I’m looking forward to trying it in a Mint Julep or Kentucky Mule.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Colonel E.H. Taylor: Cured Oak vs. Seasoned Wood

As I type this, Buffalo Trace is filling bottles of its latest limited edition Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. which should hit stores this April. The new release is called “Four Grain,” a departure from the previous two releases that featured treated barrel staves, called “Cured Oak” and “Seasoned Wood.”

Banter

Bourbon In Aruba

Most people, traveling in the Caribbean, would expect that rum is the go to spirit when looking for an adult beverage. For those of us that prefer bourbon and are used to a diverse selection, this can make for a somewhat trying vacation in the islands.Things may be changing, however.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Blade and Bow Bourbon Review

One of the qualities I like to observe with my whiskeys is the appearance. The bright amber is pleasant to look at, but an even more attractive quality is what kind of legs get left on the glass after a good swirl.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Whiskey Acres Bourbon Review

This is still a pretty young product but it’s just not in my personal strike zone as far as bourbon goes. They have a great story and what they are doing is extremely unique in the bourbon world by growing, harvesting, mashing, distilling, and aging all on their family farm in Dekalb, IL.

Banter

Goodbye My Old Friend

I said good bye to an old friend last night, George T Stagg. It was the 2011 edition, 142.6 proof, 18 years and 5 months old. Put in the barrel about 24 years ago. It was my first “special” bourbon.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill 12 Year Review

Maybe it was said and maybe it wasn’t, but either way, the statement remains incredibly righteous. “Only the white man’s leaders,” the old Indian chief observed, “would cut from the top of the blanket and sew it to the bottom and believe he’s made it longer.”

Banter

The War of the Roses, Part 1

One of the aspects that makes tasting bourbon so exciting is the variation that occurs from one release to the next. A bourbon that is “batched” is a blend of several barrels that tastes uniform across every bottle.