Blanton’s is known for three offerings all of which are increasingly difficult to find as the bourbon market grows. The basic entry is the Blanton’s Original which is followed by Blanton’s Gold and lastly today’s review Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel. There is a fourth offering only available in the international markets called, Blanton’s Reserve which comes in at 80 proof. According to the Buffalo Trace website, “Named after former distillery president Colonel Albert B. […]
Over the course of the year I had a fun time tasting the alcohol that would become the Top 5 Liquors of 2023. Perhaps on certain days, a little too much fun. The requirements to be named liquor of the year were simple. I had to review them in the course of the year from January 1st, 2023 until the publishing of this list. The score awarded to the bourbon wasn’t the only requirement in […]
A few weeks ago we ran a press release from Vermont’s Lost Lantern. We weren’t shy and asked for a sample of Brooklyn Bakery being it hails from a distillery in Kings County, aka Brooklyn. My hometown where I spent the first 40 years of my life. The press release stated, “Kings County Distillery, the oldest distillery in New York City, creates some of the country’s most acclaimed and sought-after whiskies using New York-grown grains. […]
With four releases in 2023, we take a look at Booker’s 2023-03 Rare Uncut & Unfiltered “Mighty Fine Batch.” It was a bourbon I picked up to share at Friendsgiving but I a Monday morning quarterback mentality I wish I kept it all for myself. From the website, “Booker’s® Bourbon is a rare barrel-strength bourbon, bottled uncut and unfiltered. But you obviously know a good bit about bourbon, because you don’t end up here by […]
According to Michter’s, “Bomberger’s Declaration Distillery Bourbon honors the legacy of the former distillery known as Bomberger’s in the 1800’s and later as Michter’s in the 20th Century. Please join us in toasting and celebrating American Whiskey History with this outstanding small batch 108 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This 2023 release continues the Bomberger’s tradition of offering bold and beautiful 108 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon with a rich and layered complexity due to a […]
Four Roses Small Batch Select is crafted from six unique bourbons. Four Roses uses 2 different mashbills along with 5 different yeast strains in order to create 10 unique bourbon recipes. Out of those 10 recipes 6 are blended together to make Small Batch Select – OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF. Understanding the recipes can be explained in the letters. The first letter is always O which designates the production facility, Four Roses Distillery. […]
A few weeks back we share a press release from Barrel Craft Spirts (BCS) about their Cask Finish Series. The limited-edition Series utilizes the company’s blending and finishing expertise to make bespoke blends of straight bourbon whiskeys with unique finishes. The Cask Finish Series will introduce two blends each year one of which is the Tale of Two Islands. This release builds upon the legendary BCS 2018 Tale of Two Islands Rum: a Jamaican Rum matured […]
From the bottle, “This Kentucky Bourbon pays tribute to the earliest days of the distillery’s history when in 1939 it released Heave Hill Bottled-in-Bond. The namesake brand quickly became the number one selling bourbon whiskey in the state of Kentucky. Today, the craftsmanship poured into this bottle by the same family meets the exact standard first set forth in the Bottled-in-Bond act of 1897. This history offering reflects on the company founders’ firm belief it takes patience and perseverance to make something of great quality.” […]
BEP stands for Barrel Entry Proof. It is the proof (alcohol by volume) at which Maker’s Mark bourbon is put into the barrel for aging. Maker’s Mark uses a unique barrel entry proof of 110 (55% ABV), which is higher than the standard 100 proof used by most other bourbon makers. This higher proof helps to extract more flavor from the wood, resulting in a smoother and more complex bourbon. The BEP is an important […]
George Remus was a German-born American lawyer who became one of the most successful bootleggers during the early days of Prohibition. He was known as the “King of the Bootleggers” and his empire reportedly controlled 75% of the illegal liquor trade in the United States. Born in Berlin, Germany in 1878 he immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 10 years old. He studied pharmacy and law and eventually became a […]