I have to confess, this is my first time trying Basil Hayden's. I really do skew toward higher proof bourbons, and out of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, Knob Creek and Booker's have been my go to's. It wasn't that long ago that I finally tried Baker's, a seven year old 107 proof bourbon, … Continue reading Basil Hayden’s 10 year old Bourbon from the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection; a lot of flavor despite the low proof

My friends know that I lobby my local, Hokus Pokus, to get certain barrel picks, including the amazing Four Roses pick from last year. I had also been pushing for them to do a Knob Creek barrel pick, given how awesome ones I have had from Binny's are. My lobbying paid off. I got invited … Continue reading Hokus Pokus Knob Creek Store Pick; 14 years and three months old, I helped pick it and it’s awesome but what they did to the label…

Yes, another store pick I picked up in New Orleans last weekend is a cask strength version of a bourbon that is readily available - Belle Meade XO finished bourbon. Belle Meade is a pre-prohibition brand now made at a distillery in Nashville, Tennessee. Their juice is generally pretty good all by itself. But they … Continue reading Belle Meade XO Cognac Finished Cask Strength Bourbon from Martin Wine Cellar in New Orleans

Last weekend I was down in New Orleans for my Mardi Gras krewe's annual dinner, and Catherine and I decided to make a weekend of it. Catherine and I ate at Briquette, which I highly recommend to Buffalo Trace fans like myself; my review of the spirits menu revealed that all of the specialty cocktails … Continue reading Ragged Branch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Cask Strength Selection for Keife & Co. in New Orleans

Part of my "problem" as a whiskey hobbyist is that I am always looking for something new and different but also good. To be honest, given the whiskey boom we are experiencing world wide, there are a whole range of new products on the market. A lot of them are crap. But not so with … Continue reading Barrell Dovetail-A Truly Great Flavor Experiment

So, among my many wonderful limited edition purchases last year was the Parker's Heritage Collection 2018 release. This one is the second Parker's Heritage release that is barrel finished. This one is a 110 proof bourbon finished in French Orange Curaçao barrels. I opened this bottle Christmas Day and found it to be a little … Continue reading The 2018 Parker’s Heritage Collection Bourbon Finished in Orange Curaçao Barrels – Too Much Of A Good Thing

There is a new "category" on the American whiskey scene, although this stuff has been around for a very long time. It has just never been "named." This spirit is essentially a bourbon recipe whiskey, with corn being the dominant grain, and it is made in the United States, and presumably the still proof and … Continue reading Review of Smooth Ambler’s Old Scout American Whiskey; and what is this American Whiskey business anyway

Well, I drank a good bit of whiskey over the holidays but had zero time to write about it. Work and family kept my extremely busy since my last post. Catherine and I hosted a New Year's bash at my house, and I went by Hokus on the off chance they might have something new. … Continue reading Happy Barrell Bourbon New Year-2019 Release

I have written a good bit about Booker's bourbon on this blog. Well, the fourth release of 2018 is out-Kitchen Table. I think it is the best Booker's release this year. 128 proof, six years and eight months old. On the nose is wonderful floral and corn notes. On the palate is corn syrup sweetness, … Continue reading Tasting Notes on Booker’s Kitchen Table

Wild Turkey, for me, tends to be a little funky on my palate. I do like Rare Breed, despite the little bit of funk. The Russell's Reserve 2002 limited edition was amazing. My opinion is that chill filtering does terrible things to Wild Turkey bourbon. But, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is 110 proof and non-chill … Continue reading Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel; Wild Turkey Soars to New Heights