Hokus Pokus has two more Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Picks, these being Kentucky Ghost I, A Toast to Family, and Kentucky Ghost II, A Toast to Homecoming. Wild Turkey makes some of the best bourbon you can buy so long as it is non-chill filtered. I won't go on again about how I wish I … Continue reading Drinking with Jimmy, Eddie & Bruce: Russell’s Reserve Barrel Picks Toasting Family and Homecoming

Louisiana. Next to Kentucky, Louisiana is the best place to drink bourbon. Bourbon's popularity started in Louisiana, as a very thirsty market down river from Kentucky. While many bourbon historians claim the moniker Bourbon originated from a county or region in Kentucky, Michael Veach claims the timelines don't add up, and that the whiskey whose … Continue reading “Louisiana” Bourbon, and finally a good one: Sugarfield Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Let me start by saying I am not a huge fan of Heaven Hill's standard Larceny 92 proof offering. It's a bit young and the chill filtering brings out that Beam family peanut yeast funk. I really wanted to be a fan given that Weller, Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon and one of my go to's, … Continue reading Larceny Barrel Proof A120-An Impressive Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon

Knob Creek Single Barrel, and particularly store pics, have really grown on me as a great go to evening whiskey. That includes both the bourbon and the rye. The Knob Creek Quarter Oak is the standard Knob Creek 100 proof bourbon of which a part was aged in quarter casks, which are smaller. I happened … Continue reading Knob Creek Quarter Oak Bourbon: The Latest Limited Release

The folks who make the various Michter's bourbons, ryes, Sour Mash, and American whiskies has another limited edition whiskey on the market, Shenk's Homestead. I luckily snagged a bottle at the Hokus Pokus auction. This is a 91.2 proof non-aged stated whiskey. It is sour mash, but not bourbon and not rye. My theory is … Continue reading Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey

I have reviewed 1792 Bottled in Bond, 1792 Full Proof, and Maker's Mark Private Select before, so I am not going to delve into the histories of these whiskies. Short descriptions are 1792 is the flagship bourbon of Sazerac's Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and Maker's Mark is Jim Beam's flagship wheated bourbon made in … Continue reading Hokus Pokus’ First 2020 Barrel Picks: 1792 Bottled in Bond, 1792 Full Proof, and Maker’s Mark Private Select I and II

I pretty much buy and review every Booker's release. Sometimes you can find real gems of cask strength bourbon; other times they have a lot of what I call peanut funk that comes from the wild yeast the Beam family uses to ferment their mash. This release is six and a half years old at … Continue reading Tasting Notes on Booker’s 2019-4 release: Beaten Biscuits

During my recent weekend trip to New Orleans, I was able to complete my personal trifecta of fall limited release cask strength bourbons from Buffalo Trace, with the purchase of the Col E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof 2019 release. I snagged a William LaRue Weller and a George T. Stagg in December. While these releases are … Continue reading The Fall 2019 Buffalo Trace Limited Edition Cask Strength Bourbons: William LaRue Weller, George T. Stagg, and Col. E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof

This past weekend, my Mardi Gras Krewe had its annual dinner in New Orleans, which is always fun. My daughter Caroline is at Tulane so we got to spend some time with her and her boyfriend Cam. And, we took the opportunity to visit distilleries. Yes, there are distilleries in and around New Orleans. Our … Continue reading Brad & Cat’s Weekend Distillery Crawl

Well, it is Mardi Gras time again in Louisiana. Which, for me and Catherine, means Mardi Gras balls. We get dressed up for these black tie affairs only to find subpar bars with Jack Daniel's Black Label and Dewar's Blended Scotch. So, typically, Cat and I sneak in a good bottle of scotch and bourbon. … Continue reading The Bottle I didn’t need to sneak into the Twelfth Night Mardi Gras Ball: 1792 Full Proof