Need a gift? I do enough guided tastings to know that sometimes you need a nudge—a reminder of an aroma memory—to help articulate what you’re experiencing during a bourbon tasting. I just helped a friend with a Bottled-in-Bond tasting of Heaven Hill 6-year (the…
The spring edition of Old Fitzgerald was a surprising 17 years old. People went nuts. Then Heaven Hill followed it up with a 19-year old release and enthusiasts clamored for it like no Old Fitzgerald before. For the smart few who open their bottle,…
One of this past fall’s newest bourbons was 15 Stars Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 15 Stars is a merchant bottler with the good fortune of being able to source from Kentucky—which of course is getting easier, but not yet for the age obtained by…
You can make 2022 brighter with the right bottle of Bourbon or Rye Whiskey paired with Bourbon Justice. Think of these bottles for gifts as Holiday parties ramp up, for the whiskey enthusiast on your list, or just for treating yourself. Brian’s Book and a Bottle™…
I’ve been a big fan of most of Steve and Paul Beam’s limited edition Yellowstone bourbon releases, and I’ve had an excellent private selection, but until now I haven’t really had their standard releases. I suppose that the “Landmark Edition” release isn’t exactly standard,…
I’ve always encouraged blind tastings. Most often it’s fun when you’re trying new bourbons, but it’s also a fantastic way to get real with a brand that you think is your favorite and to mix in a brand that you claim to not like…
There’s a new resurgence of Old Fortuna, the historic Kentucky Bourbon brand dating back to the late 1800’s. Its first release is a small batch of just six barrels aged at least six years and bottled at 102 proof. Fortuna was a popular brand…
After some wide variety in proof, the three 2022 batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof have established a trend of just over 60% ABV—A122 is 60.4%; B522 is 60.5%, and C922 is the highest at 62.4%. Actually, the last batch of 2021 (C921) started…
Ever since Old Crow and Old Taylor aggressively protected their trademarks in the 1800’s, setting the stage for current-day trademark law, bourbon brands have kept trademark attorneys busy. Diageo’s Bulleit brand and W.J. Deutsch & Sons’ Redemption brand have been locked in litigation for…
There’s a new bourbon in town with incredible history and the wherewithal to release under the strict rules to be called Bottled in Bond. But it’s not from Kentucky. Or Indiana. Or Tennessee for that matter. In July 2019, Missouri passed a state law…
