Pip: Welcome back to The Whiskey Jar, where fall apparently starts whenever your shipment clears Louisiana customs.Mara: Brad Drell has been busy — we're covering limited-release bourbon reviews across three very different bottles, and a first look at a brand-new craft distillery opening right in his hometown of Alexandria, Louisiana.Pip: So: serious oak, rum funk, … Continue reading Podcast Episode 1: Bourbon Releases And New Distillery

I happened to find this bottle sitting on the shelf of a big box liquor store while I was out of town. The Kiawah Blend was a limited release from April 2024, the fourth in 2XO’s Icon Series. Given that, I feel pretty lucky to have found one. Sometimes it pays to see what is … Continue reading Tasting Notes: 2XO The Kiawah Blend

Producer: Heaven Hill Distillery Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond Age: 9 Years Proof: 100 (50% ABV) Mashbills: Two-thirds traditional bourbon (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley); one-third wheated bourbon (68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley) MSRP: $49.99 Heaven Hill’s new Double Mash bourbon brings together two of the distillery’s bourbon recipes in … Continue reading

Tasting Notes: Heaven Hill 9-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Double Mash Bourbon

Welcome to the first installment of this year's Fall Limited Release Series here at the Whiskey Jar. I realize this bottle was announced in May, so calling it a "fall" release deserves an explanation. It took a while to reach Louisiana, and for years the Wild Turkey Master's Keep releases have anchored my fall lineup. … Continue reading

2026 Fall Limited Release Series Part I: Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Release, 16 Years Old, 120 Proof

Thanks to Facebook's algorithm, I was alerted to the fact that a new craft distillery in my hometown was in the works, and when I saw I could reserve one of 150 bottles of their initial release of their vodka, of course I reserved one. I received an email that I could pick it up … Continue reading Introducing Kisatchie Springs Distillery in Alexandria, Louisiana

Producer: Rolling Fork Spirits Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Rolling Fork Rum Casks Age: 7 Years Batch: 2026-02 Proof: 111 (55.5% ABV) Price: Approximately $65 / 750 mL I recently reviewed Bourbon de Luxe’s eight-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, Batch 2026-01, and found it reasonably priced, but more herbal and rye-forward than I had hoped. … Continue reading

Tasting Notes: Bourbon de Luxe 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Rolling Fork Rum Casks, Batch 2026-02

Distillery: Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky | Batch: 26C13Mashbill: 65% Corn, 20% Wheat, 15% Malted BarleyBarrel Entry Proof: 115Proof: 188.8 (natural cask strength; varies by batch)Age: No age statement (distributor reports 4–6 years)Filtration: Non-chill filteredMSRP: $67 / 750mL Willett Pot Still Reserve may be the most recognizable bottle on the bourbon shelf. The decanter, conceived by … Continue reading Tasting Notes: Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength, Batch 26C13

Bourbon de Luxe is a revival of a historic label dating to 1911, now brought back by Rolling Fork Spirits, the folks better known for their excellent sourced-rum work. This is the current core 8-year release: a 15-barrel blend of Kentucky straight bourbons, cask strength at a healthy 124.5 proof, with about 2,400 bottles released. … Continue reading Tasting Notes: Bourbon de Luxe 8-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Batch 2026-01

Found North’s Batch 012 hit shelves this June with an age statement of 16 years—the youngest whisky in the blend—and a price tag of around $150 for the 750ml bottle. This release is a blend of eleven different whisky components ranging from 16 to 22 years old, all corn and rye distillate from 2003, 2004, … Continue reading Tasting Notes: Found North Batch 12 aged 16 years

I have previously written about the Four Roses OESO recipe and came away convinced that it may be my new favorite of the Four Roses recipes. OESO combines Four Roses’ low-rye mash bill with its “O” yeast strain, which Four Roses describes as producing rich fruit. In my prior review, I found that recipe brought … Continue reading Tasting Notes: Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel Bourbon – OESO, 9 Years 3 Months, Hokus Pokus