By Richard Thomas Rating: B- The new First West line from 15 Stars has three bourbons, with the Toasted Oak Finish positioned as the middle expression, between the normal bourbon (the Small Batch) and the “extra aged” eight year old. The company started in a well-tested fashion, releasing older whiskeys sourced through Kentucky, Tennessee and …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ When I am offered the chance to write up a book published by my alma mater, the University of Kentucky, I’m always happy to oblige, which is how Classic Cocktail Revival found its way to my mailbox. Penned by Jennifer Brian, it positions itself as a work that instructs a novice on …
Earlier this week, Woodford Reserve unveiled its 2025 Master’s Collection release: Sweet Oak Bourbon. That title refers to its aging in Chinkapin oak barrels. Sweet Oak Bourbon also marks the 21st release in Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection. Chinkapin is a cousin of the conventional white oak species used to make bourbon barrels. Just as white …
Heaven Hill has announced the release of the 2025 installment of their Grain To Glass series, which focuses of the farms from which the grain is grown. This year’s whiskey is a wheated bourbon, featuring a mashbill with a higher secondary (flavoring) grain content than Heaven Hill’s traditional Wheated Bourbon mashbill, used in products like …
I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.
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First introduced in 2016 and paused since 2019, the Jos. A. Magnus Private Cask Program allows participants to select their own barrel onsite at the distillery in Holland, Michigan, with a limited number of virtual selections available. Each purchase includes the original Seguin Moreau barrel, adding a tangible piece of bourbon-making history to the ownership …
As a healthcare worker pulling long hours during the Pandemic, Zane Brammell was looking for release and distraction, and he discovered bourbon. Not just collecting bottles, but joining the community of enthusiasts that shared his passion. Zane would start a single-barrel club, selecting exclusive barrels to share with members. Two years later, he expanded his …
Everyone has their favorite Master’s Keep. For some it’s the elegance of the eponymous inaugural release, for others it’s the complexity of Decades. For me, Revival, Unforgotten, and the 17-year Bottled in Bond have long traded places as the top three….
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA), legendary voice of Kentucky’s signature Bourbon industry, is proud to announce Paducah’s Purple Toad Winery & Distillery as its newest member, further strengthening the KDA in uniting global brands and emerging craft distilleries to promote and protect Kentucky’s iconic spirits industry. Located at 4275 Old US Hwy 45 South in …
Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Yellowstone Bourbon Limited Edition series, Limestone Branch Distillery has released its 2025 Yellowstone Limited Edition, a unique blend of straight bourbon whiskeys thoughtfully aged 10 years. Founder and Master Distiller Stephen Beam and the team at Limestone Branch Distillery collaborated with the blending team at Ross & Squibb Distillery …
