Banter Bourbon Food Pairing 101 Want to make your bourbon taste even better—without spending a penny more on it? Do that by pairing bourbon with food. Wine’s gotten the food-pairing nod for centuries, and for good reason: It’s made for food. But bourbon—any good whiskey, really—is worthy of the same role. Trust me.
On The Road Wine Plays Fine Role In Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s Tourism Strategy I also love Maker’s Mark, arguably Kentucky’s prettiest distillery, but a handful of challengers, most notably Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC), have entered the distillery beauty contest. In a runoff, the 6-year-old BBC property might lose only because of its campus.
Scotch Whisky Reviews The GlenDronach Port Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review This is a really nice whiskey, super approachable and easy sipping, a go-to when evangelizing for Scotch. From entry to finish, it’s delicate, flavorful and fun. Do I want to spend $90 on it? Nope. It’s not that remarkable to me.
Tequila Reviews Expresiones Del Corazon William Larue Weller Añejo Tequila Review Over the past couple of years, I’ve tasted multiple iterations of Sazerac-barrel-rested Corazon tequilas, and with each, the influence of those barrels has increased. At first blush, I like that. I mean, why make a reposado or añejo unless you want to taste the oak influence?
Industry News SAP56 Canadian Maple Whisky Honors Maker’s Heritage and Taste Memories SAP56 references the 56 days required to harvest and process pure maple sap into a Grade A syrup. (I repeat myself: syrup making is work! Think about that the next time you wince at paying high prices for a bottle of such deliciousness.)
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Chicken Cock 15 Year Old Barrel Proof Bourbon Review This is a swell whiskey. It’s balanced, bold—even muscular—and pretty much what a properly aged 15-year-old bourbon should taste like. Some sourced whiskey shows the talent or luck of the barrel hunter, so let’s call Grain & Barrel Spirits’ master distiller Gregg Snyder talented.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review Despite the inviting nose—which revealed layer after incredible layer of aromas the longer it rested—whiskey is for drinking, and that effort ended the fun for me. I get that others like some of these extra-long-aged bourbons; in fact, I appreciate it.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Angel’s Envy Limited-Edition 2020 Cask Strength Bourbon Review I’m really pleased with this release because of its port-forward notes. Some recent Angel’s Envy Cask Strength releases tasted more like delicious, polished bourbon while lacking the distinctive port finish components of early releases.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Old Forester 2020 Birthday Bourbon Review Old Forester’s 100 proof standard is a super-versatile and amazingly affordable favorite of mine. Some of this year’s special distillery releases (such as the 150th Anniversary Bourbon, Batch 2, which I reviewed here) have been brilliant.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Heaven Hill 85th Anniversary Single Barrel Bourbon Review Straight out of the bottle this bourbon’s inviting nose led me to jump in and taste, which was a small mistake. It was surprisingly oaky and tannic, especially for a 13-year-old. So, I poured a little more and abandoned it for about 20 minutes to let it open up, and it did.
Bourbon News Barton 1792 Distillery Debuts Thomas S. Moore Trio of Cask Finished Bourbons Bardstown, Ky.-based Barton 1792 Distillery announced the release of its first ultra-premium brand, Thomas S. Moore Extended Cask Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The three-expression lineup is named in honor of Moore, who built the distillery known today as Barton 1792 Distillery.
American Whiskey Reviews Little Book Chapter 4: “Lessons Honored” Review Every Little Book release is, to my palate, unique and extraordinary. Fans will recognize they’re Beam whiskeys, but no standard Beam whiskeys.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon Review Don’t let Old Forester 150th Anniversary bourbon’s potent proof fool you, this bourbon can be rolled around the mouth and savored. The finish on it is beautiful, silken and long; it’s a real pleasure to drink. This is Old Forester at its purest, boldest, most enticing and exciting.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Maker’s Mark 2020 Limited Edition Wood Finishing Series Review The first time I and a friend cracked a bottle of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, he said, correctly, “This is what Maker’s Mark should have been all along. Why did they wait so long to release at this proof?” I agreed.
Industry News Kentucky Distilleries Fill Record Barrels In 2019 While Emptying Relatively Few Distillery owners regularly describe whiskey making as a risky, long-term venture requiring patience and deep pockets. The purest proof of that truism can be found in Kentucky Department of Revenue numbers shared in October by the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA).
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review (Fall 2020) The Old Fitzgerald 14 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a solid whiskey that Old Fitz fans and grain-forward whiskey fans will enjoy. Were this a wine review, I’d compliment its “structure” and uniformity for playing no tricks and not changing with long exposure.
Rye Whiskey Reviews Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Review This is a decent rye that checks all the boxes required of an American rye whiskey, but it needs more time in the barrel to gain complexity and character to make it worth its $69 price.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review This is a good but unremarkable bourbon. It is a pleasant, easy drinker that is best savored neat. Even a few drops of water softened it appreciably, making rocks pretty much out of the question. A cocktail? Not for me.
Rye Whiskey Reviews Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Rye Review – 2020 Release This is a bottle full of goodness all around; silken yet full bodied; lush in texture but busily spicy with fruit notes. If you can make rye whiskey candy, solidify this. It’s a delight to hold in your mouth and roll around as the honeyed texture gives way to tingly spice and slightly drying oak.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon Review – 2020 Release Michter’s has treated me to the past several releases of this 10-year bourbon, and all were good, well-mannered and delicious. Crucial to my preferences, each also paired amazingly well with food. But the 2020 release is something truly special, my favorite of the lot so far. Warm chocolate gives wa
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak Casks Review For 10 years Angel’s Envy has produced delicate, rounded and balanced bourbons finished in second-use casks—port, tawny port, sherry and rum (for its rye).
Scotch Whisky Reviews The Glendronach Revival Aged 15 Years Scotch Whisky Review This is a delightful and intriguing whisky. It never stops giving new aromas, which makes it a lot of fun just to nose. Few flavors in this Scotch jump out at you; there’s a bit of seek and find with it.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Legent Bourbon Review If you like bourbon neat, this is for you. If you’re a Scotch drinker used to low-proof and wine-cask finishes, this is for you. If you like flavorful cocktails that aren’t in-your-face bold, this is a versatile whiskey that’ll do the job.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Old Fitzgerald 9 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review (Spring 2020) This Old Fitzgerald 9 Year Old Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a glassful of goodness all around. If you’re fond of fruit-forward whiskeys, this is your jam—without being jammy. The mouthfeel is unusually fatty and weighty for a 100 proof wheated bourbon, and that’s a plus.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B519 Review This is an all-around solid whiskey that won’t disappoint. But to violate an iron-clad rule of multi-sibling parenting, I’m saying its older brother, A119, this year’s first ECBP release, is better in every respect. A119 is headed for Harvard while B519 is good state school material.
