Irish Whiskey Reviews

Concannon Irish Whiskey Review

Concannon Irish Whiskey was released in early 2012 and won the title of “Best New Irish Whiskey” for 2012 from the International Spirits Competition (NYISC). It was developed as a joint collaboration between Livermore Valley-based Concannon Vineyard and Ireland’s renowned Cooley distillery.

On The Road

Thank You Century Bar!

I’m currently recovering from a fantastic weekend visiting the fine folks at the Century Bar in Dayton, Ohio. Once I get back into the swing of things I’ll post a detailed recap of my weekend along with some video and additional photos.

Banter

Hitting The Road – Bourbon Across America

Welcome to another installment of “Thank god it’s Friday!”. We’re taking a break today from our regular posting of a vintage bourbon ad since I’m hitting the road for the inaugural Bourbon Across American Road Trip.

Banter

New Product Alert: Jefferson’s Bourbon Presidential Select 21 Year Old

Hey folks, I just got this new product release announcement from Jefferson’s Bourbon and thought you’d be interested in hearing about it right away. I should have a sample in the next few weeks as well so I’ll let you know more about it as I find out myself.

Banter

March Bourbon Wallpaper

Welcome to Monday folks. To help make it a little bit easier to tolerate, we’re happy to post the March installment of our Bourbon & Banter Desktop Wallpaper Series. This month’s wallpaper features Willett Distillery and a few things they just happen to have laying around in their backyard.

Banter

Old Taylor Bourbon Ad Circa 1964

Found this Old Taylor Bourbon ad from 1964 that leveraged the 1964 World’s Fair on New York. It’s a nicely timed ad that  not only claimed it was “…the best America has to offer”, but also that it was “the world’s most popular premium bourbon”.

Banter

18 Flavors of Whisky Infographic

Who doesn’t love a good infographic? Make it a whisky infographic and doubt there’s anyone out there with a pulse and good taste that wouldn’t fall in love. So be prepared to fall in love… I give you the 18 Flavors of Whisky infographic created by Sean Seidell.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Review

The weather in St. Louis this past week has been pretty crappy. Lot’s of ice and snow. Based on what I’ve heard about Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, I decided it might just be the perfect bourbon to review for the site and to fend off the cold Winter winds.

Banter

Bourbon Across America Road Trip #1

I’m super stoked to announce Bourbon & Banter’s first Bourbon Across America Road Trip. We’re heading up to The Century Bar in Dayton, OH for our first trip. I’ve posted about The Century Bar in the past and have spent time with some of their folks on last year’s Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage.

Banter

Asleep in the Wood – Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Documentary

Special thanks to B&B member Dennis Nelson for bringing this documentary about Pappy Van Winkle bourbon to my attention this week. Created by Joe York for the Southern Food Alliance, it’s a brief peek into the world of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon via interview footage with Julian Van Winkle III.

Banter

Old Grand Dad Bourbon Ad Circa 1958

Today’s featured vintage bourbon ad is from 1958 and features Old Grand Dad Bourbon. It’s a pretty plain and simple ad on the surface. But look deeper. I think there’s a lesson here that Maker’s Mark should have studied before making their announcement a few weeks ago.

Banter

Happy Anniversary Bourbon & Banter

A year ago today I published the first post on BourbonBanter.com entitled. “Welcome Fellow Bourbon Lovers“. My goal was to simply build upon the success of the Bourbon & Banter Facebook page and meet some new friends who also happened to be bourbon lovers.

Banter

New Product Alert: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

I’m excited to announce that Jimmy and Eddie Russell are releasing their first ever Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel bourbon this month. We’re told the juice is between 8-9 years old versus the 10-year that is standard for Russell’s Reserve.

Banter

Jefferson’s Bourbon Small Batch Match Game

The folks at Jefferson’s Bourbon launched their Jefferson’s Bourbon Small Batch Match Game last week. It’s an online game where you have a chance to win cash prizes that are paid out in $2 bills. I’ve already played a few times without any success which means your odds are still pretty good.

Banter

National Distillers Bourbon Ad Circa 1942

I came across this National Distillers bourbon ad from 1942 and immediately knew it was the perfect ad to post this week.

Banter

Interview With Britt Chavanne

Are you a fan of any of these bourbons? Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon Rowan’s Creek Noah’s Mill Johnny Drum Old Bardstown Kentucky Vintage Pure Kentucky Bourbon If so, I’ve got a great video for you featuring Kentucky Bourbon Distiller’s very own, Britt Chavanne.

Gear News

Introducing Barrel Strength Bourbon Posters

We’re excited to announce that our new Barrel Strength Bourbon Posters are now available for purchase. These original posters have been created from photos taken by Bourbon & Banter’s founder, Patrick “Pops” Garrett, during the 2012 Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage.

Banter

“Snowtorius BIG” Bourbon Strategy

When you’re faced with bad weather you need a good Bourbon strategy. As Snowtorius BIG approaches the East Coast we recommend following Bourbon & Banter’s Bourbon Strategy to ensure that you survive the weekend. Consider this our “minimal” recommendation.

Banter

Bellows Bourbon Ad Circa 1965

In 1965 this ad from Bellows Bourbon hit the local newsstand. Instead of relying on fancy photography, clever packaging or beautiful women, Bellow’s decided to rely on the pure appeal of their brand name and 134 years of experience. Good idea?

Banter

The Century Bar

When I first announced last year’s Bourbon & Banter Pilgrimage,  I immediately received an email from a woman in Ohio asking me to hold a few spots on the tour. She told me that she owned a bar and that she wanted to surprise her bartender with a ticket on our tour.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Review

Bulleit Bourbon has always been one of my favorites. It’s easy to drink, priced right and has a nice story surrounding the brand and its founder, Tom Bulleit.

Banter

February Bourbon Wallpaper

Did everybody survive the Super Bowl blackout without incident? I hope no one ran out of Bourbon as a result of the extra time needed to watch the full game. Whether your team won or lost yesterday, I’ve got just the thing to brighten your Monday.

Cocktails

Wild Turkey Bourbon Drink Recipes

Are you still looking for a few Bourbon inspired drink recipes to fuel your Super Bowl party? We’ve got a few Wild Turkey Bourbon drink recipes to share today courtesy of the folks over at Wild Turkey.

Vintage Advertising

Four Roses Bourbon Ad Circa 1945

Welcome to February! One down, eleven to go as they say. Today’s we’re featuring an interesting ad from Four Roses Bourbon that appeared in 1945.  Not quite sure if it conjures up the image they’re referring to in the ad, but I have to give them credit for trying something a little different.

Banter

Q&A With Tom Bulleit

Back in November, I had the opportunity to attend a tasting event and meet Tom Bulleit in person. I was even luckier in that I was able to spend a good amount of time with him one-on-one after most of the guests had left for the evening.