Steve Coomes

Steve Coomes is a veteran journalist and book author specializing in whiskey, tequila and restaurants. When not writing, he leads virtual and in-person food and spirits pairings.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Pinhook 9-Year Vertical Rye Review: Aged Elegance Unveiled

Tingling with spices like white pepper and coriander, it practically vibrates on the palate. Darkly toasted bread, French roast coffee, charred lemon, dried cherry, spearmint and some campfire mingle nicely alongside cocoa nibs. The finish is simple: long and warming.

Tennessee Whiskey Reviews

Jack Daniel’s 14-, 12- and 10-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey Review: Age Matters

It's big on the palate without being a brute; as in none of the Coy Hill muscle or heat. I like those, too, but they have their place, and there's no place for that in this mature, balanced and well-mannered Tennessee whiskey.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bomberger's Precision Fine Grain Bourbon Review: Layered Complexity & Elegance

To me, those whiskies exhibit a greater intensity of aromas gathered while resting in the first barrel, like extra coffee, extra cocoa and extra oak and all the tannin you'd expect that the bear. But this has dustiness all over it.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Review: Hits and Misses

I'm a Bulleit fan. I love its barrel strength releases, I've done single barrel picks there and I love its 10-year products. But all of those came from elsewhere, and I was ready to see what the home team could do this time.

Wheat Whiskey Reviews

Middle West Spirits Cask Strength Wheat Whiskey: Wheat Done Right

This whiskey is all about toasted aromas and flavors being superbly integrated. I'll take this whiskey over any purposely "toasted" release I can think of because those notes aren't all barrel and new lumber.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Green River Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon Review: A $60 Cask Strength Gem

This high-proof release is in my sweet spot for wheated bourbon. Below 100 proof, wheated bourbon is unassertive and short on spice for my palate. As Maker's Mark Cask Strength proved years ago, magic happens in wheated bourbon proofed well past the century mark.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

WhistlePig Snout-to-Tail 10-Year Bourbon Review: Unique Barrel Aging Unveiled

The nose is laden with honey, caramel, spring flowers and a little ripe banana. Hints of white pepper and cinnamon come next with a whiff of mint thrown in. Those same aromas become flavors that form the backbone of this this middleweight spirit.

Tequila Reviews

Trulussó Tequila Review: A pricey and beautifully packaged tequila worth the pour?

While all three are solid tequilas, the price-to-value equation doesn't work out compared to so many other excellent bottles available for much less. The gorgeous packaging and the premium, celebrity-backed market positioning surely pushes prices northward.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Review: Worth the Hype?

What surprises me is the finish, which doesn't linger, is not all that warm and is neither immediately tannic nor drying–attributes I expected from such lengthy oak interaction.

Wheat Whiskey Reviews

Heaven Hill 19-Year Wheat Whiskey Review: Aged to Perfection

Tasting this for the first time is like meeting your grandfather before you ever met your father, and by virtue of his age, his stature is immediately more meaningful.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

New Riff Balboa Rye 2025 Review: A Bold Take on Heirloom Rye

This liquid is its own animal, a whiskey that, tasted blind, might fool a few folks into thinking it's a low-rye bourbon. Get a bottle and let the fun begin.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester 1924 Bourbon Review: A Decade of Depth and Flavor

If someone can find flaws in this, you're either a freak of nature who's going to teach us all something we didn't know or you're nuts and making things up.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig A125 Barrel Proof Review: Is This the Best Batch Yet?

No one ever regrets buying a bottle of ECBP because it always delivers, never disappoints and always makes people smile when you pour them some.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Preservation Estate Wheated Bourbon Review: Bold Notes Beyond Its Age

If Preservation is already achieving that combination of rich fruit and ponderous dark notes at 6.5 years, that's exciting. To enter the Preservation Wheated Bourbon's flavor journey at the trailhead is a fun place to be, and now I look forward to every forthcoming release.

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The Bourbon Drinker's Guide to Coping with February

I’m here for the party so I’m not leaving. Unlike Steve, I don’t have a curfew or a standing bedtime. Halftime is for bathroom breaks, bourbon refills, and another trip to the food spread to see if anything new hit the table while I was watching the game.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Sagamore Double Oak Rye Whiskey Review: A Bold Oak-Heavy Experience

The palate leads with cedar, bitter chocolate, new oak, clove and black pepper. It leaves the tongue tingling more than burning, but either way, it's spicy beyond what you normally encounter with 96 proof.

Tequila Reviews

Alma del Jaguar Nocturna Tequila Review: A High-Proof Blanco Experience

Despite its 101 proof–a feistier number in tequila than in bourbon–it drinks nicely, and is quite supple, allowing more extended sipping. Have some dried spicy mango around to enjoy with this. Mexican desserts would be a plus.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester 117 Series 'Warehouse I' Review: A Limited 11-Year Bourbon

This is flat-out delicious. Kudos to whoever chose 95 as this spirit's proof. It's bold and beautiful, complex and loaded with character, velvety, weighty and luxuriant but without the bite of cask strength whiskey. Sometimes you gotta love medium proof bourbon.

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Get To Know

Like a train, Chattanooga Whiskey Co.’s growth comes from strong momentum

Part of why he believes Chattanooga has enjoyed double-digit growth over so many years is its affordable price. The SRP of its flagship 91 proof, priced at $35, is well within the reach of everyday drinker preferences. Depending on age and quantity, its Experimental releases range from $50 to $80.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Middle West Spirits Dark Pumpernickel Rye Review: A Unique Cask Strength Experience

According to Middle West, this is the first dark pumpernickel rye whiskey made in North America, and its mash bill contains 80 percent of that grain. Want a rye that's not a dill Katz's Deli pickle? Try this.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Bulleit 10 Year Rye Whiskey Review: A Decade of Bold Rye Flavor

This also is a delight on the palate: tingly, tropical-fruity (ripe pineapple/cooked pineapple and under-ripe banana), cherry and orange hard candy, light caramel, white chocolate with a subtle hints of dill and toasted oak.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon Review: Aged Perfection at 91.2 Proof

I'd have an incredibly hard time understanding any bourbon fan wouldn't like this amazingly reliable, well-made and well-aged bourbon. It embodies everything that's right and unique about America's native spirit...

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Industry News

Bourbon slowdown is officially and undeniably real

Whether viewed from the 10,000 foot perspective of a publicly traded global company or the grass roots of 'Merica, the story is the same. The whiskey industry that we’ve fallen in madly in love with—and sometimes hatefully mad at—is no longer the juggernaut it was 10 years ago.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

First Taste: Four Roses New Single Barrel Collection

The deep copper color of these bourbons all but screams, “I’m 7 to 9 years old and one heck of a bargain at $49.” It’s a good visual reminder of the high-quality product in the glass and the fact that Four Roses simply never disappoints.

Get To Know

Bourbon de Luxe’s tiny relaunch is a hit, but market headwinds concern its owners

Barrels don't sell like that; they sell in lots. You’re allowed to try a couple from each lot, and you pick the lot you want. Anyone that tells you that, “I tried 1,000 barrels,” can go kick rocks. That's not how it works.