Book Reviews

12 Must Have Bourbon Books

You upgraded from bourbon & coke, you have Glencairn glasses, and you even started reading this fantastic little blog: now what? It’s time for you to get educated, my friend! Bourbon writing has exploded in the past decade.

Industry News

Announcing Castle & Key: Kentucky-Bred Bourbon

Millville, KY, February, 2016—Inside the walls of a 19th century limestone castle in the heart of bourbon country, history is being honored–and made.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Review

Evan Williams Black Label is a benchmark bourbon, not be confused with Benchmark Old No. 8 which I’ve previously reviewed. It’s one of those bourbons by which others are judged. I get that, but if you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll know 86 proof is not my preferred ABV.

New Brand Releases

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Seasoned Wood Bourbon Whiskey Released

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Feb. 29, 2016) – Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release bourbon whiskey aged in seasoned wood oak barrels.

Food

Bourbon Brined Chicken Breasts, Halleluiah!

Bourbon love is widespread, and if you’re like me, well, first of all, welcome to my world, and second, you’re likely wondering “How can I can get more bourbon into my life?”

Banter

Bourbon Graphs: Turn Your Tasting Notes up to 11

If you hang around serious bourbon drinkers (or any whiskey drinker) long enough, you will start to hear the same adjectives used repeatedly. A quick Google search of “bourbon adjectives” yields no shortage of adjectives most commonly used to describe a pour.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Colorado Straight Bourbon Review

Colorado Straight Bourbon is made by Peach Street Distillers, out of Palisade, Colorado. Peach Street Distillers boasts of being “artisan experimenters” and “fearless craftsmen” located in a “secluded mecca perfect for growing the finest fruits and grains on the planet.”

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Living in Louisville makes it easy to develop the mindset that local is better. We excel at homegrown restaurants, arts, and bourbon. Here a bourbon lover can audition a different Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey weekly and never run out of options.

Industry News

Barton 1792 Distillery Releases Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon

New product release update from the fine folks over at the Barton 1792 Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery Releases Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon. A new Single Barrel Bourbon is the latest limited edition expression in the premium 1792 whiskey collection.

Cocktails

The March Hare Bourbon Cocktail Recipe

There is a certain breed of person who feels that upon getting locked into your own house due to inclement weather, the best option is to head for the whiskey cabinet. Given that you’re reading a blog that worships at the altar of whiskey… I’ll assume that you might be of this particular breed.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig 23 Year Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Back in 2012, Heaven Hill started its Elijah Craig series with Elijah Craig 20 Year. For several years now Heaven Hill has offered a taste of Elijah Craig bourbon aged an additional year allowing us to taste what happens to their signature premium bourbon over time.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon Review

Looking into Hillrock Estate Distillery’s history you’ll find it is very short. But the estate upon which it’s situated, located in the Hudson Valley of New York State, has a history that dates back to the early 19th century.

New Brand Releases

The Return of Bourye

Some good news from our friends at High West Distillery. If you enjoyed the original Bourye you may want to look into how you can get your hands on the new version.  Good luck!

Banter

A Bourbon Hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy

“Where did you find that bottle?” That is the question that starts the hunt for many of us; after the rare bottle has been opened, shared, and tasted and you finally understand all of the hype. For me, a sip of George T. Stagg in 2010 was the bottle that launched a thousand ships. One bottle, seven

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye 4 Year Review

In all honesty, I chose this bottle for my review submission to be a bit contrarian. I’ve had this bottle on my bar for a while and when I first cracked it I was not a fan of it at all.

Cocktails

Camomile Sour Cocktail Recipe

Now, I’m not here trying to suggest that the whiskey sour is a drink that is at all unfamiliar to readers of these august pages. A venerable classic of the first cocktail age, and a drink that has survived many affronts to its decency in a 145 year history.

Banter

A Proposed Bourbon Journey

How long does a bottle of whiskey last? A week? A month? 2 months? 2 years? I realize there are many different factors that contribute to how you will answer that question, and undoubtedly, it will not be the same for every bottle you buy.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Perfect Pairing – Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon & Ashton VSG Tres Mystique Sun Grown Petite Corona

THE BOURBON Since 1954, Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon has been one of the country’s best selling small batch bourbons. The mainstream bourbons are created with corn, malted barley, and rye. Maker’s Mark, on the other hand, is a ‘wheated’ bourbon.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

David Nicholson 1843 Bourbon Review

Attach the names Van Winkle or Weller to a bourbon brand and a good story instantly begins. This one started in 1843 when grocer David Nicholson began distilling an original bourbon whiskey recipe at his St. Louis general store.

Cocktails

Old Jonas Cocktail Recipe

Blizzards are quite possibly the best reason to drink. You can’t possibly drive anywhere and your greatest risk is falling asleep on your couch, floor, stairs or bathroom instead of your own bed.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Willett Exploratory Cask Finish Review

The Willett brand, owned by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Limited, has taken a 7-year-old rye and finished it for 90 days in French Curacao casks. If you’re unfamiliar, curacao is a liqueur made with the laraha citrus fruit grown on the island of Curacao.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Everyone has seen the increase in the price of bourbon recently too, along with more and more bottles becoming highly allocated. It is nice to have a bourbon that tastes good, isn’t $100, and you don’t have to sign up for a lottery to get a bottle.

Canadian Whisky Reviews

A Canadian Whisky Tasting

A Canadian Whisky the World’s Best for 2016! shouted the headline on November 20th 2015. This was a first for Canada and the whole country was thrilled to hear it. The next day the whisky (Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye) was sold out.

Cocktails

Black Walnut Bourbon Cocktail & Pork Chop Recipes

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something……. Bourbon? Yes! We are talking bourbon today and I’m going to show you a twist on two ageless classics, The Old Fashioned & Pork chops. Some would say that bourbon has become my obsession, but let’s just say it’s my passion.

Banter

2016 Presidential Candidate Bourbon Pairings

The election season is upon us and the requisite attack ads and name calling has begun. I prefer a more positive approach to dealing with election year politics. To help you with this, I have compiled the following bourbon pairings with your favorite or not so favorite political candidate.