#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. It was wonderful to see all of the #30DaysofBourbon hashtags on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I tried to visit and like as many of them as possible, but there are thousands of these posts. I hope between my fellow Bourbon & Banter contributors and me; we caught a majority of them.

1,300 Tweets + 3,800 Instagram Posts reaching over 8.5 million people

Believe it or not, the 30 Days of Bourbon challenge is a real challenge, and I hope many of you picked up on it. I’m typically sampling a whiskey a day, and I know some of you do, too. As such, having 30 drinks in a month isn’t a challenge to our liver. Rather, It was a challenge to see if you would #DrinkCurious and expand your horizons, either by introducing yourself to something new. To revisit some bottles on your shelf that rarely hit your rotation, or perhaps even crack one of your coveted “special occasion” bottles that may have otherwise taken you forever to find said special occasion. Remember, Bourbon is meant to be opened and enjoyed, not to sit pretty on a shelf collecting dust.

Despite mapping out my entire month to avoid repeats, I experienced wrenches thrown in the works. I didn’t plan for the impromptu trip across state lines where I found a bottle of Early Times 354. It had to displace the schedule. I led a Bourbon Heritage Month tasting event where we featured five Bourbons. I didn’t wind up drinking any of them, but they were taken out of the running anyway in advance. I had generous friends send me samples. I had two friends who lost their jobs, and I wanted to toast them with something more special than what was originally slated that day. I had unplanned visits to a bar and used those opportunities to select Bourbons I never tried. As stated at the beginning of this challenge, life happens, and you have to be prepared to be flexible.

Here’s a photo of my calendar and how I fared for Bourbon Heritage Month.

Since I got bad grades in elementary school for penmanship and never really improved, I’ll provide a legible breakdown as well:

1. 2015 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition
2. 2013 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
3. Eagle Rare 10
4. Early Times 354
5. JTS Brown Bottled in Bond
6. Old Bardstown – Willett Distillate
7. Stagg, Jr. 128.7°
8. Four Roses Single Barrel – OBSK Gift Shop Pick
9. 2015 Col EH Taylor Barrel Proof
10. Willett Family Estate 9yr, Barrel 4177
11. Ezra B 12 year Single Barrel
12. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
13. Old Weller Antique – Cask & Ale Pick
14. Fighting Cock 103 6yr
15. Rowan’s Creek
16. Rebel Yell 10 Single Barrel
17. 2014 Four Roses Single Barrel Limited Edition
18. 2014 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition
19. Buffalo Trace Single Barrel – Monumental Enterprises
20. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yr
21. Jefferson’s Pritchard Cabernet Cask Finish
22. Henry & Sons Bellefontaine Reserve Cognac Cask Finish
23. Noah’s Mill
24. Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel
25. Elmer T. Lee Commemorative Edition
26. 2015 George T. Stagg
27. Knob Creek 120 – Riley’s Wines of the World Store Pick
28. Four Roses Single Barrel – OBSO Fine Spirits Store Pick
29. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 139.4°
30. 2016 Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition

How did you make out? Did you run into any problems? Did you discover something new?

Share a photo of your completed calendar with us and tag it with @BourbonBanter and and #30DaysofBourbon.

If you were unable to take part, don’t fret, we’ll do this again next September. Cheers!